Large transport aircraft with 3 flight crew. Aircraft equipment problem. Bus tie relay tripped, chec...

Attributes
ACN	347327
Time
Date	199609
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : cvg
State Reference	OH
Altitude	msl bound lower : 5000 msl bound upper : 5000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : cng
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach descent other other
Route In Use	enroute : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 18000 flight time type : 60
ASRS Report	347327
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Air carrier flight on sep/xx/96. We took off from abq to cvg. On climb out from abq when I called for flaps up, the #3 bus tie relay tripped. The so went through the electrical procedures and isolated the #3 air conditioning generator. We put an inverted styrofoam coffee cup over the flap handle to remind the so to electrical download upon our approach to cvg. The flight was normal all the way to cvg. Approach control gave us vectors to downwind for runway 18L for setting up our approach to cvg. We were at 5000 ft at 230 KIAS. ATC cleared us to descend to 2500 ft. I then told the so to electrically download for flap extension. The so acknowledged and we removed the coffee cup from the flap handle. I then slowed the aircraft to 210 KTS and called for flaps 2 degrees. The first officer selected flaps 2 degrees and then we had a complete electrical failure, which resulted in lost communication and a loss of all generators. I called checklist for protect essential and battery switch on. We then had the #1 radio back. The first officer suggested we declare emergency and ask for delay vectors. I agreed and the first officer told approach control that we declared an emergency and needed delay vectors to see what kind of problem we had. ATC needed to know souls on board. I was on standby power and had the captain's primary flight instruments. The aircraft instruments showed split flaps and off flags in both airspeed gauges. However, the aircraft flew normally. With standby power to #1 attitude director indicator and HSI, I was able to make a normal ILS to runway 18L. We received clearance and made a normal approach and landing. After landing, we told the fire crash crew we were capable of going to the gate and they could be released. The so regained #1 AC bus. We canceled our emergency and taxied to the gate.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LGT ACFT WITH 3 FLC. ACFT EQUIP PROB. BUS TIE RELAY TRIPPED, CHKLIST COMPLETED WITH #3 GENERATOR ISOLATED. PREPARING FOR LNDG THE CAPT RPTR INSTRUCTED SO TO DOWNLOAD ELECTRICAL SYS PRIOR TO LOWERING THE FLAPS. WHEN FLAPS WERE LOWERED, TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE OCCURRED, EMER DECLARED, DELAY VECTORS REQUESTED WHILE EMER CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED. PRIMARY ESSENTIAL INSTS AND RADIOS WERE AVAILABLE FROM BATTERY PWR, AND LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL.

Narrative: ACR FLT ON SEP/XX/96. WE TOOK OFF FROM ABQ TO CVG. ON CLBOUT FROM ABQ WHEN I CALLED FOR FLAPS UP, THE #3 BUS TIE RELAY TRIPPED. THE SO WENT THROUGH THE ELECTRICAL PROCS AND ISOLATED THE #3 AIR CONDITIONING GENERATOR. WE PUT AN INVERTED STYROFOAM COFFEE CUP OVER THE FLAP HANDLE TO REMIND THE SO TO ELECTRICAL DOWNLOAD UPON OUR APCH TO CVG. THE FLT WAS NORMAL ALL THE WAY TO CVG. APCH CTL GAVE US VECTORS TO DOWNWIND FOR RWY 18L FOR SETTING UP OUR APCH TO CVG. WE WERE AT 5000 FT AT 230 KIAS. ATC CLRED US TO DSND TO 2500 FT. I THEN TOLD THE SO TO ELECTRICALLY DOWNLOAD FOR FLAP EXTENSION. THE SO ACKNOWLEDGED AND WE REMOVED THE COFFEE CUP FROM THE FLAP HANDLE. I THEN SLOWED THE ACFT TO 210 KTS AND CALLED FOR FLAPS 2 DEGS. THE FO SELECTED FLAPS 2 DEGS AND THEN WE HAD A COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE, WHICH RESULTED IN LOST COM AND A LOSS OF ALL GENERATORS. I CALLED CHKLIST FOR PROTECT ESSENTIAL AND BATTERY SWITCH ON. WE THEN HAD THE #1 RADIO BACK. THE FO SUGGESTED WE DECLARE EMER AND ASK FOR DELAY VECTORS. I AGREED AND THE FO TOLD APCH CTL THAT WE DECLARED AN EMER AND NEEDED DELAY VECTORS TO SEE WHAT KIND OF PROB WE HAD. ATC NEEDED TO KNOW SOULS ON BOARD. I WAS ON STANDBY PWR AND HAD THE CAPT'S PRIMARY FLT INSTS. THE ACFT INSTS SHOWED SPLIT FLAPS AND OFF FLAGS IN BOTH AIRSPD GAUGES. HOWEVER, THE ACFT FLEW NORMALLY. WITH STANDBY PWR TO #1 ATTITUDE DIRECTOR INDICATOR AND HSI, I WAS ABLE TO MAKE A NORMAL ILS TO RWY 18L. WE RECEIVED CLRNC AND MADE A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. AFTER LNDG, WE TOLD THE FIRE CRASH CREW WE WERE CAPABLE OF GOING TO THE GATE AND THEY COULD BE RELEASED. THE SO REGAINED #1 AC BUS. WE CANCELED OUR EMER AND TAXIED TO THE GATE.

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.