Narrative:

Shortly after takeoff during flap retraction we received an ECAM warning 'elec ess busses on bat.' I engaged the autoplt and took over ATC communication duties while the first officer handled the communication (cockpit operating manual) procedures. Step one was 'land as soon as possible,' so we requested a downwind for runway 8R into yvr. On the electrical system page, all electrical busses appeared to be powered by their normal power sources so the RAT was not deployed, an emergency was not declared and we made a normal approach and landing. During the taxi in, the message disappeared and reappeared several times with the static inverter appearing on the elec page (causing the message to appear). All busses remained powered by their normal power sources throughout. A relay was changed in yvr and it appeared to correct the situation. On the next leg the same indications seemed to appear after about 1 hour airborne. We never received an aural warning with the ECAM message. After conferring with our maintenance control, they had us pull our flight warning computer #1 circuit breaker. This stopped the intermittent static inverter display on the elec page and we never received an intermittent 'elec ess busses on bat' display again. Without the resources of direct contact with our maintenance control and their electrical diagrams we never would have been able to troubleshoot the problem down to a faulty flight warning computer and would have had to divert again. Even though the electrical busses all seemed to be powered normally, we were not sure that the static inverter was working, was shorting out, or would work if we needed it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 ACFT IN CLB SHORTLY AFTER TKOF HAD ECAM WARNING, 'ELECT ESS BUSSES ON BAT.' FLC FOLLOWED COCKPIT MANUAL PROCS AND RETURNED TO LAND AT DEP ARPT. ECAM MESSAGE DISAPPEARED WHILE TAXIING IN, A RELAY WAS CHANGED AND ACFT DEPARTED AGAIN. AGAIN THE WARNING CAME ON INTERMITTENTLY, BUT AFTER CONFERRING WITH THEIR COMPANY MAINT, THE FLT WARNING COMPUTER #1 CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS PULLED AND NO FURTHER ECAM WARNINGS OCCURRED.

Narrative: SHORTLY AFTER TKOF DURING FLAP RETRACTION WE RECEIVED AN ECAM WARNING 'ELEC ESS BUSSES ON BAT.' I ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND TOOK OVER ATC COM DUTIES WHILE THE FO HANDLED THE COM (COCKPIT OPERATING MANUAL) PROCS. STEP ONE WAS 'LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE,' SO WE REQUESTED A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 8R INTO YVR. ON THE ELECTRICAL SYS PAGE, ALL ELECTRICAL BUSSES APPEARED TO BE POWERED BY THEIR NORMAL PWR SOURCES SO THE RAT WAS NOT DEPLOYED, AN EMER WAS NOT DECLARED AND WE MADE A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. DURING THE TAXI IN, THE MESSAGE DISAPPEARED AND REAPPEARED SEVERAL TIMES WITH THE STATIC INVERTER APPEARING ON THE ELEC PAGE (CAUSING THE MESSAGE TO APPEAR). ALL BUSSES REMAINED POWERED BY THEIR NORMAL PWR SOURCES THROUGHOUT. A RELAY WAS CHANGED IN YVR AND IT APPEARED TO CORRECT THE SIT. ON THE NEXT LEG THE SAME INDICATIONS SEEMED TO APPEAR AFTER ABOUT 1 HR AIRBORNE. WE NEVER RECEIVED AN AURAL WARNING WITH THE ECAM MESSAGE. AFTER CONFERRING WITH OUR MAINT CTL, THEY HAD US PULL OUR FLT WARNING COMPUTER #1 CIRCUIT BREAKER. THIS STOPPED THE INTERMITTENT STATIC INVERTER DISPLAY ON THE ELEC PAGE AND WE NEVER RECEIVED AN INTERMITTENT 'ELEC ESS BUSSES ON BAT' DISPLAY AGAIN. WITHOUT THE RESOURCES OF DIRECT CONTACT WITH OUR MAINT CTL AND THEIR ELECTRICAL DIAGRAMS WE NEVER WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO TROUBLESHOOT THE PROB DOWN TO A FAULTY FLT WARNING COMPUTER AND WOULD HAVE HAD TO DIVERT AGAIN. EVEN THOUGH THE ELECTRICAL BUSSES ALL SEEMED TO BE POWERED NORMALLY, WE WERE NOT SURE THAT THE STATIC INVERTER WAS WORKING, WAS SHORTING OUT, OR WOULD WORK IF WE NEEDED IT.

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.