Narrative:

While cruising at FL390 a master caution light came on accompanied by 3 beep aural warning on ADI: LNAV and VNAV and ecams inoperative as well as speed limit warning. Salmon speed bug went to 100 KIAS. EICAS messages: no autothrottle and autoplt inoperative warnings. All CDU information to do with VNAV (fuel remaining and time) was lost. Passed information on to new york radio and gave rough fuel time estimates. While I was flying the aircraft and communicating with new york radio, first officer working with QRH tried to rectify problem. In an attempt to regain airspeed bug and autothrottle he inadvertently and unknowingly pulled circuit breakers labeled 'speed card.' at which time ram air turbine deployed. With increased drag and only rough fuel estimate of 7000 pounds over destination, I declared fuel emergency and was given direct route to ewr. We landed at ewr with 9000 pounds. Direct routing saved us 15- 20 mins or 2500-3000 pounds of fuel. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the training of new pilots and recurrent training of pilots will now have the correct information regarding how this deployment can happen. Because the flight crew was trying to reset their autoflt capabilities since they went to a default mode, circuit breakers were pulled. One of the circuit breakers pulled was the one for the speed card. This circuit breaker being pulled simulates a hydraulic failure, so the ram air turbine extended. Once extended, it cannot be retracted until on the ground. It makes noise and increases fuel consumption with its increased drag. Flight crew decided then to declare emergency so flight would not suffer any delays to destination. Aircraft had proper fuel for approach and landing. Supplemental information from acn 407656: in cruise flight we received a master caution light and 3 beeps accompanied by a 'no LNAV or VNAV' annunciation. In addition, EICAS warnings were displayed, 'no autothrottle, autoplt inoperative' warnings in addition to a 'speed limit' annunciation. Autoplt remained engaged, autothrottle disengaged, all VNAV information including all time and ETA information was lost. Reviewed procedures and could not rectify situation. In attempt to clear the 'speed limit annunciation' on the ADI's, I reset the 'speed card' circuit breakers. At some point the following message appeared 'ram air turbine unlocked.' I looked overhead and noticed the amber ram air turbine unlocked light and the accompanying green pressurized light. It was apparent the ram air turbine had deployed and this cannot be stowed in-flight. This causes fuel burn to increase substantially and caused a potential fuel problem with the accompanying drag. We informed ATC of our problem, declared an emergency, and received a direct clearance to destination. These circuit breakers (labeled 'speed card') should be labeled, 'will cause irreversible ram air turbine deployment.' we landed uneventfully. Apparently this is used by maintenance to test ram air turbine deployment. This information is not in our manual. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that this incident caused an ETOPS deviation report to be submitted since it altered their ground track. Even with an emergency declared it doesn't change the need for an ETOPS deviation to be reported.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 FLYING FROM EUROPE TO EWR ACCIDENTALLY DEPLOYS THE RAM AIR TURBINE. SINCE THIS INCREASED DRAG INCREASES FUEL CONSUMPTION, THE FLC DECLARES AN EMER TO GET PREFERENTIAL HANDLING INTO THE EWR AREA.

Narrative: WHILE CRUISING AT FL390 A MASTER CAUTION LIGHT CAME ON ACCOMPANIED BY 3 BEEP AURAL WARNING ON ADI: LNAV AND VNAV AND ECAMS INOP AS WELL AS SPD LIMIT WARNING. SALMON SPD BUG WENT TO 100 KIAS. EICAS MESSAGES: NO AUTOTHROTTLE AND AUTOPLT INOP WARNINGS. ALL CDU INFO TO DO WITH VNAV (FUEL REMAINING AND TIME) WAS LOST. PASSED INFO ON TO NEW YORK RADIO AND GAVE ROUGH FUEL TIME ESTIMATES. WHILE I WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND COMMUNICATING WITH NEW YORK RADIO, FO WORKING WITH QRH TRIED TO RECTIFY PROB. IN AN ATTEMPT TO REGAIN AIRSPD BUG AND AUTOTHROTTLE HE INADVERTENTLY AND UNKNOWINGLY PULLED CIRCUIT BREAKERS LABELED 'SPD CARD.' AT WHICH TIME RAM AIR TURBINE DEPLOYED. WITH INCREASED DRAG AND ONLY ROUGH FUEL ESTIMATE OF 7000 LBS OVER DEST, I DECLARED FUEL EMER AND WAS GIVEN DIRECT RTE TO EWR. WE LANDED AT EWR WITH 9000 LBS. DIRECT ROUTING SAVED US 15- 20 MINS OR 2500-3000 LBS OF FUEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE TRAINING OF NEW PLTS AND RECURRENT TRAINING OF PLTS WILL NOW HAVE THE CORRECT INFO REGARDING HOW THIS DEPLOYMENT CAN HAPPEN. BECAUSE THE FLC WAS TRYING TO RESET THEIR AUTOFLT CAPABILITIES SINCE THEY WENT TO A DEFAULT MODE, CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE PULLED. ONE OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS PULLED WAS THE ONE FOR THE SPD CARD. THIS CIRCUIT BREAKER BEING PULLED SIMULATES A HYD FAILURE, SO THE RAM AIR TURBINE EXTENDED. ONCE EXTENDED, IT CANNOT BE RETRACTED UNTIL ON THE GND. IT MAKES NOISE AND INCREASES FUEL CONSUMPTION WITH ITS INCREASED DRAG. FLC DECIDED THEN TO DECLARE EMER SO FLT WOULD NOT SUFFER ANY DELAYS TO DEST. ACFT HAD PROPER FUEL FOR APCH AND LNDG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 407656: IN CRUISE FLT WE RECEIVED A MASTER CAUTION LIGHT AND 3 BEEPS ACCOMPANIED BY A 'NO LNAV OR VNAV' ANNUNCIATION. IN ADDITION, EICAS WARNINGS WERE DISPLAYED, 'NO AUTOTHROTTLE, AUTOPLT INOP' WARNINGS IN ADDITION TO A 'SPD LIMIT' ANNUNCIATION. AUTOPLT REMAINED ENGAGED, AUTOTHROTTLE DISENGAGED, ALL VNAV INFO INCLUDING ALL TIME AND ETA INFO WAS LOST. REVIEWED PROCS AND COULD NOT RECTIFY SIT. IN ATTEMPT TO CLR THE 'SPD LIMIT ANNUNCIATION' ON THE ADI'S, I RESET THE 'SPD CARD' CIRCUIT BREAKERS. AT SOME POINT THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE APPEARED 'RAM AIR TURBINE UNLOCKED.' I LOOKED OVERHEAD AND NOTICED THE AMBER RAM AIR TURBINE UNLOCKED LIGHT AND THE ACCOMPANYING GREEN PRESSURIZED LIGHT. IT WAS APPARENT THE RAM AIR TURBINE HAD DEPLOYED AND THIS CANNOT BE STOWED INFLT. THIS CAUSES FUEL BURN TO INCREASE SUBSTANTIALLY AND CAUSED A POTENTIAL FUEL PROB WITH THE ACCOMPANYING DRAG. WE INFORMED ATC OF OUR PROB, DECLARED AN EMER, AND RECEIVED A DIRECT CLRNC TO DEST. THESE CIRCUIT BREAKERS (LABELED 'SPD CARD') SHOULD BE LABELED, 'WILL CAUSE IRREVERSIBLE RAM AIR TURBINE DEPLOYMENT.' WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. APPARENTLY THIS IS USED BY MAINT TO TEST RAM AIR TURBINE DEPLOYMENT. THIS INFO IS NOT IN OUR MANUAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THIS INCIDENT CAUSED AN ETOPS DEV RPT TO BE SUBMITTED SINCE IT ALTERED THEIR GND TRACK. EVEN WITH AN EMER DECLARED IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE NEED FOR AN ETOPS DEV TO BE RPTED.

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.