Flight crew experienced inverter failure in VFR conditions.

Attributes
ACN	294506
Time
Date	199501
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : gee
State Reference	NY
Altitude	msl bound lower : 17000 msl bound upper : 17000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute airway : zob
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	294506
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After reaching an altitude of 17000 ft, our filed cruise altitude, the attention getter came on with lights flashing everywhere. I looked across the instrument panel and saw red flags on all the gyros and navigation equipment. Luckily we had just come out of what I suspected was a line of heavy rain showers with a lot of turbulence. The altimeter setting was 29.51 at the time of departure. With no radar and no gyros I did not want to go back into all of that. So we continued on course. I had the radar on the 100 NM scale. Prior to our problem I saw clear in front of us. We executed all required items in the QRH in the correct order. We removed all electrical load from the bad inventer and all of our gyros and navigation equipment came back online. 17000 ft was very smooth, and the WX looked much better to the south and west so we continued on with no further complications. This particular aircraft has an inverter transfer system which I now, highly recommend.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC EXPERIENCED INVERTER FAILURE IN VFR CONDITIONS.

Narrative: AFTER REACHING AN ALT OF 17000 FT, OUR FILED CRUISE ALT, THE ATTN GETTER CAME ON WITH LIGHTS FLASHING EVERYWHERE. I LOOKED ACROSS THE INST PANEL AND SAW RED FLAGS ON ALL THE GYROS AND NAV EQUIP. LUCKILY WE HAD JUST COME OUT OF WHAT I SUSPECTED WAS A LINE OF HVY RAIN SHOWERS WITH A LOT OF TURB. THE ALTIMETER SETTING WAS 29.51 AT THE TIME OF DEP. WITH NO RADAR AND NO GYROS I DID NOT WANT TO GO BACK INTO ALL OF THAT. SO WE CONTINUED ON COURSE. I HAD THE RADAR ON THE 100 NM SCALE. PRIOR TO OUR PROB I SAW CLR IN FRONT OF US. WE EXECUTED ALL REQUIRED ITEMS IN THE QRH IN THE CORRECT ORDER. WE REMOVED ALL ELECTRICAL LOAD FROM THE BAD INVENTER AND ALL OF OUR GYROS AND NAV EQUIP CAME BACK ONLINE. 17000 FT WAS VERY SMOOTH, AND THE WX LOOKED MUCH BETTER TO THE S AND W SO WE CONTINUED ON WITH NO FURTHER COMPLICATIONS. THIS PARTICULAR ACFT HAS AN INVERTER TRANSFER SYS WHICH I NOW, HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

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.