The phrase "a factor that contributed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when discussing elements or reasons that played a role in a particular outcome or situation.
Example: "The lack of funding was a factor that contributed to the project's failure."
Alternatives: "an element that played a role" or "a reason that influenced".
The complaint specifically cites failures of cementing as a factor that contributed to the spill.
Although the ploy effectively foiled Mr. Maxwell's plans, Harcourt became mired in debt, a factor that contributed to Mr. Jovanovich's abrupt departure three years later.
The city was heavily fortified and did not spread much beyond its medieval confines until the 19th century, a factor that contributed to the emergence of industrial satellite suburbs and towns around the city proper.
He also said that city leaders had "exhibited notable lack of enthusiasm" about working with the state, a factor that contributed to the need for an emergency manager to step in.
Mr. Sabater (pronounced sa-bah-TARE) sang in Spanish and English, a factor that contributed to the group's appeal, and he and Mr. Cuba became symbols of the growing Nuyorican identity in New York, one rooted in a generation's common urban experiences rather than in life on their parents' island.
The restructuring, which was the subject of a board meeting late Sunday, would also dissolve a decade-old agreement that gave the two countries an effective veto over company strategy, a factor that contributed to the failure of a proposed merger between EADS and BAE Systems of Britain in October.
One saw that today when the Times found it necessary to explain, very slowly, that the money we spend in Iraq and Afghanistan is actual money: "War spending, like other federal outlays, is a factor that contributes to the annual deficit".
The results indicate that decreased food motivation may be a factor that contributes to the behavioral effects of PB administration.
