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An air carrier DC9-30 captain reports an aircraft equipment problem APU failed in flight and left engine CSD inoperative per MEL. The air carrier asked for priority handling at the aircraft's destination.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 347322 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199609 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : fwa |
| State Reference | IN |
| Altitude | msl bound lower : 27000 msl bound upper : 27000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-9 30 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 9000 |
| ASRS Report | 348322 |
| 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 other |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
En route to dtw from stl. APU failed leaving us with 1 operating generator. CSD to left engine was inoperative and on MEL. Notified company and they asked me to continue into dtw and they would ask for priority handling so there would be no delay. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter was flying a DC9-30. The APU would not consistently carry a load, it was fluctuating badly. Even though dtw WX 'was not pleasant' due to the remnants of an east coast hurricane, air carrier dispatch wanted the aircraft in dtw for maintenance. 45 mins of holding were expected in dtw, but the captain agreed to go to dtw with priority handling. This aircraft's flight manual does not require that the crews land at the nearest suitable airport. It apparently has a large battery capacity and relatively low electrical load compared to other, newer aircraft. The reporter started the APU at a lower altitude and it worked satisfactorily throughout the approach and landing.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN ACR DC9-30 CAPT RPTS AN ACFT EQUIP PROB APU FAILED IN FLT AND LEFT ENG CSD INOP PER MEL. THE ACR ASKED FOR PRIORITY HANDLING AT THE ACFT'S DEST.
Narrative: ENRTE TO DTW FROM STL. APU FAILED LEAVING US WITH 1 OPERATING GENERATOR. CSD TO L ENG WAS INOP AND ON MEL. NOTIFIED COMPANY AND THEY ASKED ME TO CONTINUE INTO DTW AND THEY WOULD ASK FOR PRIORITY HANDLING SO THERE WOULD BE NO DELAY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR WAS FLYING A DC9-30. THE APU WOULD NOT CONSISTENTLY CARRY A LOAD, IT WAS FLUCTUATING BADLY. EVEN THOUGH DTW WX 'WAS NOT PLEASANT' DUE TO THE REMNANTS OF AN E COAST HURRICANE, ACR DISPATCH WANTED THE ACFT IN DTW FOR MAINT. 45 MINS OF HOLDING WERE EXPECTED IN DTW, BUT THE CAPT AGREED TO GO TO DTW WITH PRIORITY HANDLING. THIS ACFT'S FLT MANUAL DOES NOT REQUIRE THAT THE CREWS LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT. IT APPARENTLY HAS A LARGE BATTERY CAPACITY AND RELATIVELY LOW ELECTRICAL LOAD COMPARED TO OTHER, NEWER ACFT. THE RPTR STARTED THE APU AT A LOWER ALT AND IT WORKED SATISFACTORILY THROUGHOUT THE APCH AND LNDG.
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.