Flight crew spilled coffee on the center console and had to declare an emergency and divert to alter...

Attributes
ACN	103670
Time
Date	198902
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : mlf
State Reference	UT
Altitude	msl bound lower : 29000 msl bound upper : 29000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zlc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 850
ASRS Report	103670
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 13000
ASRS Report	103811
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Second officer attempted to pass cup of coffee to captain. After noticing the captain was occupied the second officer placed the coffee on a blank panel on the center console. A few mins later the captain reached for something on the console and knocked over the coffee. Within a few mins the #1 and #2 VOR's failed. The autoplt failed a few mins later. The captain notified ATC and alerted company. At that time both communication radios were working. While talking to ATC (ZDV), #1 communication failed and the captain decided to divert to abq. Center provided vectors to abq and a visibility approach and landing was made. Air carrier Y mechanics at abq cleaned the failed equipment with contact cleaner and dried it with nitrogen. All equipment was then operational and the mechanics signed off the maintenance log. After departure it was discovered that the autoplt was inoperative, but the other equipment was functioning normally. En route to dfw, about 100 mi west of sps, the #2 VOR failed and a few mins later the #1 VOR failed. The WX at dfw was 800' overcast and 5 mi visibility, so the captain decided to continue on vectors. We were equipped for the NDB 35R. About 5 mins out the WX was reported 500' overcast and 3 mi visibility and the captain asked for vectors to lbb. A visibility approach and landing was made and the passenger departed on another flight for dfw. The #1 navcom was replaced and the other equipment dried by company maintenance. The flight departed lbb with everything operational but the autoplt. The captain flew this leg. Approximately 50 mi west of sps the #2 VOR failed, but the #1 VOR remained operation. The captain considered returning to lbb, but after talking with company decided to continue to dfw. The #1 VOR ILS operated normally for the rest of the flight. Recommend crewmembers do not place drinks on console and exercise caution when drinking a beverage in the cockpit of an large transport as there is no good place to set a cup.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW SPILLED COFFEE ON THE CENTER CONSOLE AND HAD TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY AND DIVERT TO ALTERNATE DUE LOSS OF NAVIGATION AND COM RADIOS.

Narrative: S/O ATTEMPTED TO PASS CUP OF COFFEE TO CAPT. AFTER NOTICING THE CAPT WAS OCCUPIED THE S/O PLACED THE COFFEE ON A BLANK PANEL ON THE CENTER CONSOLE. A FEW MINS LATER THE CAPT REACHED FOR SOMETHING ON THE CONSOLE AND KNOCKED OVER THE COFFEE. WITHIN A FEW MINS THE #1 AND #2 VOR'S FAILED. THE AUTOPLT FAILED A FEW MINS LATER. THE CAPT NOTIFIED ATC AND ALERTED COMPANY. AT THAT TIME BOTH COM RADIOS WERE WORKING. WHILE TALKING TO ATC (ZDV), #1 COM FAILED AND THE CAPT DECIDED TO DIVERT TO ABQ. CENTER PROVIDED VECTORS TO ABQ AND A VIS APCH AND LNDG WAS MADE. ACR Y MECHS AT ABQ CLEANED THE FAILED EQUIP WITH CONTACT CLEANER AND DRIED IT WITH NITROGEN. ALL EQUIP WAS THEN OPERATIONAL AND THE MECHS SIGNED OFF THE MAINT LOG. AFTER DEP IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE AUTOPLT WAS INOP, BUT THE OTHER EQUIP WAS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. ENRTE TO DFW, ABOUT 100 MI W OF SPS, THE #2 VOR FAILED AND A FEW MINS LATER THE #1 VOR FAILED. THE WX AT DFW WAS 800' OVCST AND 5 MI VISIBILITY, SO THE CAPT DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON VECTORS. WE WERE EQUIPPED FOR THE NDB 35R. ABOUT 5 MINS OUT THE WX WAS RPTED 500' OVCST AND 3 MI VISIBILITY AND THE CAPT ASKED FOR VECTORS TO LBB. A VIS APCH AND LNDG WAS MADE AND THE PAX DEPARTED ON ANOTHER FLT FOR DFW. THE #1 NAVCOM WAS REPLACED AND THE OTHER EQUIP DRIED BY COMPANY MAINT. THE FLT DEPARTED LBB WITH EVERYTHING OPERATIONAL BUT THE AUTOPLT. THE CAPT FLEW THIS LEG. APPROX 50 MI W OF SPS THE #2 VOR FAILED, BUT THE #1 VOR REMAINED OPERATION. THE CAPT CONSIDERED RETURNING TO LBB, BUT AFTER TALKING WITH COMPANY DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO DFW. THE #1 VOR ILS OPERATED NORMALLY FOR THE REST OF THE FLT. RECOMMEND CREWMEMBERS DO NOT PLACE DRINKS ON CONSOLE AND EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN DRINKING A BEVERAGE IN THE COCKPIT OF AN LGT AS THERE IS NO GOOD PLACE TO SET A CUP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Flight crew spilled coffee on the center console and had to declare an emergency and divert to alternate due loss of navigation and communication radios.