Date: 201309
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: EMB ERJ 145 ER/LR
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Takeoff / Launch
ATC / advisory: Tower ZZZ
Aircraft component: Rudder Control System
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Troubleshooting; Training / Qualification
Second reporter function: First Officer; Pilot Not Flying
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural MEL / CDL; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Automation Aircraft Other Automation; Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory; Flight Crew Rejected Takeoff; Flight Crew Returned To Gate; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Aircraft; Company Policy; Procedure
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: After the pushback; just after starting engine number two; we got the message RUDDER SYS 2 INOP on the EICAS. We ran the QRH and then contacted Maintenance Control for direction and made a logbook entry recording the discrepancy. Maintenance Control directed us to complete a procedure that cleared the indication and then directed us to enter 'system self-reset per MCC no further action required' in the corrective action.We taxed to Runway XXL with no further irregularities. We began the takeoff roll and before the 80 knot call-out; we got the message RUDDER SYS 2 INOP on the EICAS. I called for the abort; the First Officer; who was the pilot not flying; informed the Tower and told the passengers to remain seated. After aborting the takeoff; we taxied down the runway exited and then ran the Aborted Takeoff and After Landing checklist. After coordinating with Dispatch; Maintenance; and Operations; we returned to the gate; where we deplaned the passengers and returned their luggage. I wrote a new logbook entry indicating the discrepancy and coordinated this with Maintenance Control. A Mechanic was flown up from [another station] and after he repaired the aircraft we ferried the aircraft back to [that station] that afternoon without further event. Aborting the takeoff was an unusual event and a potential threat. In this case; given that the message RUDDER SYS 2 INOP had occurred before at the gate; it was clearly an abnormal situation; since we were still below 80 knots; an abort was the safest course of action to mitigate any potential risk.I am not sure if the mechanical cause that triggered the message RUDDER SYS 2 INOP is something that could have been caught earlier. Since we did have this issue at the gate; I am wondering if we could have trapped this mechanical issue earlier and avoided the aborted takeoff completely.


Second narrative: [Narrative #2 contains no additional information.]


Synopsis: An EMB-145 EICAS alerted RUDDER SYS 2 INOP after engine start but Maintenance Control had the crew reset and log the event. During takeoff the same EICAS alert resulted in a rejected takeoff and return to the gate.