Date: 202106
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZ.Tower, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: Regional Jet 900 (CRJ900)
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Initial Climb
Airspace: Class B ZZZ
ATC / advisory: Tower ZZZ
Aircraft component: Engine Control
Component problem: Failed
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: First Officer
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Troubleshooting; Time Pressure
Second reporter function: Captain
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Air Traffic Control Provided Assistance; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; Flight Crew Returned To Gate; General Maintenance Action; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Contributing factors: Aircraft; Procedure
Primary problem: Aircraft

Narrative: Originally departed for ZZZ1; shortly after departure we received a LEVEL l FADEC CAUTION message. Asking for box pattern vectors with departure; we ran the checklist. Checklist called for L engine idle and the possibility of the engine shutting down. As we ran through it a few more times with the left engine at idle; the LEVEL l FADEC CAUTION message turned into a LEVEL l FADEC FAULT STATUS message followed by a R FADEC FAULT STATUS message. We were communicating with dispatch to coordinate a continue or air return; we decided it's best to return to ZZZ as there was a previous issue with the FADEC computer system and clearly something was wrong. Upon vectors to land; the rest of the flight continued safely back to ZZZ airport. No emergency was declared nor was it necessary.Aircraft had a write up from the previous crew. Maintenance ran the engines and could not replicate. Aircraft was signed off and okay to go.Both Captain and FO worked very well together. Thanks to company standards and sim training we worked very efficiently to identify and eliminate the threat.


Second narrative: Air return to ZZZ due to L FADEC caution during climb out. Dispatch and Maintenance notified and agreed. QRH completed; no emergency declared; return to ZZZ without incident. After a plane swap original flight to ZZZ1 [was] completed.Previous flight had reported a L FADEC FAULT 1 and a R FADEC FAULT 2 white status messages in climb; intermittent. ZZZ ops checked the engines and cleared the plane for flight.  We didn't experience any engine or FADEC issues on departure until we reached 8;000 ft.  L FADEC CAUTION lasted for a few minutes while we ran the QRH and communicated with dispatch and Maintenance Control. L FADEC CAUTION cleared when replaced by L FADEC FAULT 1 and R FADEC FAULT 2 white status messages.  Decision was made to return to ZZZ (close proximity and maintenance capabilities) without objection or incident.


Synopsis: CRJ-900 flight crew reported FADEC FAIL messages on both engines and elected to perform an air turn back and a precautionary landing.