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|
Attributes | |
ACN | 1727837 |
Time | |
Date | 202002 |
Local Time Of Day | 0601-1200 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | ZZZ.Tower |
State Reference | US |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Aircraft 1 | |
Make Model Name | A319 |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
Flight Phase | Descent |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Component | |
Aircraft Component | Electrical Power |
Person 1 | |
Function | First Officer Pilot Not Flying |
Qualification | Flight Crew Instrument Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Multiengine |
Person 2 | |
Function | Captain Pilot Flying |
Qualification | Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) Flight Crew Multiengine Flight Crew Instrument |
Events | |
Anomaly | Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical |
Narrative:
Critical events and emergencies need to be taken more seriously. This incident could have turned out very differently. I understand returning aircraft to service in a timely manner when it is a minor issue; but when we are talking about a total loss of electrical power; that is a very serious occurrence. Certain things should not be rushed and there should be no shortcuts. It is mine boggling to me that this occurred twice in a 24 hour span in the same aircraft. That is completely unacceptable and this issue and needs to be looked into.descending on the arrival into ZZZ;we were given descend and maintain 2;000 ft. Around 4;000 ft. I heard a 'clicking noise' which sounded like an electrical component or contactor opening or closing behind the captain's seat and an ECAM message shortly after confirming we had a GEN2 failure. The noise is what I hear when a generator comes on line after starting an engine or the APU. Shortly after we heard another 'clicking noise' and generator 1 failed as well. The aircraft then entered the elec emergency configuration. We were left with only the RAT (ram air turbine) and the electrical and hydraulic components associated. This occurred on a downwind to runway zzl in visual conditions. Due to the nature of the emergency and the phase of flight we [requested priority handling] and asked for an immediate visual approach to runway xxl. We weren't sure if there was an electrical fire or what the nature of the emergency was. We agreed to land as soon as possible as per the ECAM. We confirmed the gear was down and didn't have enough time to fully run through the ECAM or communication procedures. After landing safely the aircraft was met by fire trucks and we were eventually towed to the gate in ZZZ safely. It was brought to our attention after arriving that this was the second occurrence in 24 hours with this aircraft. Maintenance simply wanted to do a 'reset' and an engine run up and see if they could duplicate the issue and release the aircraft back into service just as they did yesterday. Our contract maintenance mechanic in ZZZ didn't feel comfortable with that and politely refused saying this aircraft needs a more thorough check of the electrical system. Something is causing this issue with the electrical system and it needs to be addressed immediately. There is no reason this aircraft should be returned to service until we know what is causing the issue and it is addressed appropriately.on a side note we were also given the wrong logbook in ZZZ1 before the flight. Fortunately we caught the mistake and were issued the correct logbook. I think there needs to be a little more sense of urgency within our maintenance department. We got an apology from the mechanic; but if we had not caught the mistake we'd have been in a bad situation after an emergency and we don't even have the correct log book. Once in ZZZ; the maintenance controller only seemed concerned about getting an aircraft returned to service as soon as possible to prevent delays and cancellations. This was obviously the same behavior the previous night in ZZZ1. This isn't a simple deferral or something that should just be brushed under the rug. If you are losing both engine generators within seconds of each other; that isn't a fluke. With both engines running normal; this shouldn't happen in an aircraft with a properly working electrical system. This is a serious matter and needs to be addressed immediately.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: Flight Crew flying A319 aircraft encountered electrical failure in descent.
Narrative: Critical events and emergencies need to be taken more seriously. This incident could have turned out very differently. I understand returning aircraft to service in a timely manner when it is a minor issue; but when we are talking about a total loss of electrical power; that is a very serious occurrence. Certain things should not be rushed and there should be no shortcuts. It is mine boggling to me that this occurred twice in a 24 hour span in the same aircraft. That is completely unacceptable and this issue and needs to be looked into.Descending on the arrival into ZZZ;we were given descend and maintain 2;000 ft. Around 4;000 ft. I heard a 'clicking noise' which sounded like an electrical component or contactor opening or closing behind the Captain's seat and an ECAM message shortly after confirming we had a GEN2 failure. The noise is what I hear when a generator comes on line after starting an engine or the APU. Shortly after we heard another 'clicking noise' and generator 1 failed as well. The aircraft then entered the ELEC EMERGENCY CONFIGURATION. We were left with only the RAT (Ram Air Turbine) and the electrical and hydraulic components associated. This occurred on a downwind to Runway ZZL in visual conditions. Due to the nature of the emergency and the phase of flight we [Requested Priority Handling] and asked for an immediate visual approach to Runway XXL. We weren't sure if there was an electrical fire or what the nature of the emergency was. We agreed to land ASAP as per the ECAM. We confirmed the gear was down and didn't have enough time to fully run through the ECAM or COM procedures. After landing safely the aircraft was met by fire trucks and we were eventually towed to the gate in ZZZ safely. It was brought to our attention after arriving that this was the second occurrence in 24 hours with this aircraft. Maintenance simply wanted to do a 'reset' and an engine run up and see if they could duplicate the issue and release the aircraft back into service just as they did yesterday. Our Contract Maintenance Mechanic in ZZZ didn't feel comfortable with that and politely refused saying this aircraft needs a more thorough check of the electrical system. Something is causing this issue with the electrical system and it needs to be addressed immediately. There is no reason this aircraft should be returned to service until we know what is causing the issue and it is addressed appropriately.On a side note we were also given the wrong logbook in ZZZ1 before the flight. Fortunately we caught the mistake and were issued the correct logbook. I think there needs to be a little more sense of urgency within our Maintenance department. We got an apology from the Mechanic; but if we had not caught the mistake we'd have been in a bad situation after an emergency and we don't even have the correct log book. Once in ZZZ; The Maintenance Controller only seemed concerned about getting an aircraft returned to service as soon as possible to prevent delays and cancellations. This was obviously the same behavior the previous night in ZZZ1. This isn't a simple deferral or something that should just be brushed under the rug. If you are losing both engine generators within seconds of each other; that isn't a fluke. With both engines running normal; this shouldn't happen in an aircraft with a properly working electrical system. This is a serious matter and needs to be addressed immediately.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.