Narrative:

We were cleared from ward intersection on a heading of 050 to intercept the runway 4R localizer off of ewr. We had everything set up in the aircraft to intercept the localizer. We proceeded on the assigned heading but the localizer never came in. While proceeding on the 050 heading we got a flashing VOR 2 on captain and first officer's FMA's. We tried tuning the localizer and the VOR manually on both sides but nothing would come in. We checked the identify on the localizer and it was functioning properly. We started getting several other electrical failure alerts on the primary flight display. Approach told us they had lost our transponder. The captain told approach that we also had several other electrical failures and that we had lost our ILS. About this time we started getting low level wind shear alerts. Approach then gave us a heading of 028 degrees. We turned left using the ADF and heading to locate the field visually. Once we acquired the field visually, approach then cleared us for the visual approach to ewr. At approximately 5 mi from the field all the navaids started working properly and all the electrical alerts cleared. We could not duplicate any failures on the ground. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: only NAVAID available was ADF. Electric altimeter had failed and was probably the reason for the failure of the transponder. Map display was ok and all flight instruments were operating. Took the aircraft off autoplt at first indication of trouble. Is not aware of any other aircraft having this problem. System does have a recall circuit that maintenance can call up. In this incident no indication of the problem. Reporter found out the software used on this equipment is the same as used on a foreign widebody transport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOST NAV SYS OF THIS EFIS. HAD ADF ONLY.

Narrative: WE WERE CLRED FROM WARD INTXN ON A HDG OF 050 TO INTERCEPT THE RWY 4R LOC OFF OF EWR. WE HAD EVERYTHING SET UP IN THE ACFT TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. WE PROCEEDED ON THE ASSIGNED HDG BUT THE LOC NEVER CAME IN. WHILE PROCEEDING ON THE 050 HDG WE GOT A FLASHING VOR 2 ON CAPT AND FO'S FMA'S. WE TRIED TUNING THE LOC AND THE VOR MANUALLY ON BOTH SIDES BUT NOTHING WOULD COME IN. WE CHKED THE IDENT ON THE LOC AND IT WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. WE STARTED GETTING SEVERAL OTHER ELECTRICAL FAILURE ALERTS ON THE PRIMARY FLT DISPLAY. APCH TOLD US THEY HAD LOST OUR TRANSPONDER. THE CAPT TOLD APCH THAT WE ALSO HAD SEVERAL OTHER ELECTRICAL FAILURES AND THAT WE HAD LOST OUR ILS. ABOUT THIS TIME WE STARTED GETTING LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR ALERTS. APCH THEN GAVE US A HDG OF 028 DEGS. WE TURNED L USING THE ADF AND HDG TO LOCATE THE FIELD VISUALLY. ONCE WE ACQUIRED THE FIELD VISUALLY, APCH THEN CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO EWR. AT APPROX 5 MI FROM THE FIELD ALL THE NAVAIDS STARTED WORKING PROPERLY AND ALL THE ELECTRICAL ALERTS CLRED. WE COULD NOT DUPLICATE ANY FAILURES ON THE GND. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ONLY NAVAID AVAILABLE WAS ADF. ELECTRIC ALTIMETER HAD FAILED AND WAS PROBABLY THE REASON FOR THE FAILURE OF THE TRANSPONDER. MAP DISPLAY WAS OK AND ALL FLT INSTS WERE OPERATING. TOOK THE ACFT OFF AUTOPLT AT FIRST INDICATION OF TROUBLE. IS NOT AWARE OF ANY OTHER ACFT HAVING THIS PROBLEM. SYS DOES HAVE A RECALL CIRCUIT THAT MAINT CAN CALL UP. IN THIS INCIDENT NO INDICATION OF THE PROBLEM. RPTR FOUND OUT THE SOFTWARE USED ON THIS EQUIP IS THE SAME AS USED ON A FOREIGN WDB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.