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A DC9-10 flight crew overcomes a double aircraft equipment malfunction when the left generator fails and the xtie relay fails to pick up the load on the left bus. Emergency declared.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 341323 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199607 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : dtw |
| State Reference | MI |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 12000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : rno |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-9 10 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other descent : approach |
| Route In Use | arrival other enroute : on vectors enroute airway : dtw |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer pilot : instrument pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 3000 |
| ASRS Report | 341323 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : overcame equipment problem flight crew : declared emergency other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Approaching dtw from southwest to land on runway 21R. 10 mi southwest at 12000 ft VFR, but with scattered to broken clouds, lost the left generator. Right generator failed to xtie properly to pick up left generator load. Lights began flashing, instrument flags on all instruments on and off, radios and pressurization on and off. Very difficult to talk to approach control, but was able to declare an emergency and receive instructions for descent and vectors to airport. On verge of complete electrical failure, I performed emergency/abnormal checklist while copilot talked to approach and flew aircraft. APU was started and it picked up left bus. Right generator ran right bus and electrical power was back to normal by turn to final. Landing VFR was uneventful. Since VFR we did not have a big problem, but at night or IFR, would have made problem much more exciting. Even with a double generator failure, we still would have had the battery and emergency power.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A DC9-10 FLC OVERCOMES A DOUBLE ACFT EQUIP MALFUNCTION WHEN THE L GENERATOR FAILS AND THE XTIE RELAY FAILS TO PICK UP THE LOAD ON THE L BUS. EMER DECLARED.
Narrative: APCHING DTW FROM SW TO LAND ON RWY 21R. 10 MI SW AT 12000 FT VFR, BUT WITH SCATTERED TO BROKEN CLOUDS, LOST THE L GENERATOR. R GENERATOR FAILED TO XTIE PROPERLY TO PICK UP L GENERATOR LOAD. LIGHTS BEGAN FLASHING, INST FLAGS ON ALL INSTS ON AND OFF, RADIOS AND PRESSURIZATION ON AND OFF. VERY DIFFICULT TO TALK TO APCH CTL, BUT WAS ABLE TO DECLARE AN EMER AND RECEIVE INSTRUCTIONS FOR DSCNT AND VECTORS TO ARPT. ON VERGE OF COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE, I PERFORMED EMER/ABNORMAL CHKLIST WHILE COPLT TALKED TO APCH AND FLEW ACFT. APU WAS STARTED AND IT PICKED UP L BUS. R GENERATOR RAN R BUS AND ELECTRICAL PWR WAS BACK TO NORMAL BY TURN TO FINAL. LNDG VFR WAS UNEVENTFUL. SINCE VFR WE DID NOT HAVE A BIG PROB, BUT AT NIGHT OR IFR, WOULD HAVE MADE PROB MUCH MORE EXCITING. EVEN WITH A DOUBLE GENERATOR FAILURE, WE STILL WOULD HAVE HAD THE BATTERY AND EMER PWR.
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.