Narrative:

Air carrier flight operated from hnl to sfo. The flight was uneventful until approximately 130 NM west of sfo when an electrical fire in the cockpit occurred behind one of the circuit breaker panels. This fire required the so to discharge a fire extinguisher through a narrow seam crack in the panel which caused the fire to extinguish. The bright white electrical arcing left the so visually challenged. Emergency was declared and made an uneventful, but challenging approach/landing at sfo. Multiple system failures. Supplemental information from acn 420004: on flight from hnl to sfo, flight was approaching the california coast at FL360. ZOA had just reported radar contact with a clearance to descend at pilot's discretion to 8000 ft. Shortly thereafter, the red 'ess/standby power' warning light on pilot's annunciator panel illuminated, smoke in the cockpit appeared and the so announced he had a bright glow with sparks and flames visible through a crack in the circuit breaker panel adjacent to his seat. The captain's autoplt also dropped off with several warning flags on his flight instruments. He put on the 'B' autoplt and xferred control of the aircraft to me. The so procured a halon fire extinguisher and directed it into the crack in the circuit breaker panel. The captain and I had donned oxygen masks as soon as we detected the smoke. Cabin pressurization was climbing and the so selected standby pressurization to get cabin descending. I declared an emergency with ZOA and requested clearance direct to sfo at high speed. During descent various warning lights illuminated (pitch trim, yaw sas) which were reset several times. We ended up with 1 pitch trim working. The captain had partial communications failure with his oxygen mask and then with his headset/boom microphone. His hand microphone and cockpit speaker still worked. Approximately 20 NM from sfo, I began slowing the aircraft. We broke out of the clouds about 5000 ft and saw the airport. We maneuvered for a visual approach to runway 28R. During the approach, as gear and flaps were extended, we encountered a green 'engine #2 fail armed' light (normally 'on' only on the ground during takeoff) and failure of both direct lift control/automatic spoilers. We landed normally with a 5 KT tailwind. At touchdown, spoilers were manually extended by the captain. I attempted to select reverse thrust, but no reversers worked. On taxi in, we noticed all 3 engines were in flight idle. At the gate the so panel showed both outflow valves full open, but aircraft was still pressurized (flight attendant could not open L1 door). So tried to shut down all packs and engine bleeds but could not. Captain attempted to shut down engines with fuel and ignition switches, but engines kept running. Engine fire handles were pulled and engines shut down in about 30 seconds. Door was opened from the outside manually and passenger exited. Fire was caused by short at dc standby circuit breaker. Supplemental information from acn 420006: this report is concerning flight from hnl to sfo. Aircraft type is L1011-250 with 295 passenger seats and 64 souls on board, including a crew of 11. At top of descent into sfo, an electrical fire, smoke, arcing, and accompanying sounds occurred inside circuit breaker panel #3. Flight engineer was able to view above through a small crack in the panel and upon white light subsiding to red glow inside panel, flight engineer proceeded to acquire the cockpit halon fire extinguisher. Finding himself temporarily visually challenged from looking at the bright arcing inside the circuit breaker panel, the flight engineer obtained a halon fire extinguisher from a flight attendant who was standing just outside the cockpit door. Fire extinguisher (halon) was discharged through the crack in the circuit breaker panel onto red glowing area which was increasing in size and intensity. The glow went out. An emergency was declared with ZOA and during descent and approach phases of flight, multiple system failures occurred. The descent, approach, and landing were uneventful other than the system failures we experienced. After landing, turnoff and taxi to gate were uneventful. Passenger deplaned at the gate via door 1L, as they usually do. Callback conversation with reporter acn 419799 revealed the following information: crew was flying an L1011-250. The flight was hnl to sfo, all night. About 6 mins after passing the inbound gateway, the captain saw the so in frantic activity around the circuit breaker panel just aft of his station. An intense electrical fire had developed behind the circuit breaker panel. Arcing was so intense that the so was partially blinded by the arcing. The so was having trouble finding the cockpit halon fire extinguisher. A flight attendant then entered the cockpit, and the so asked her for a cabin fire extinguisher she had one immediately. It was discharged fully into a slit in the circuit breaker panel closest to the fire. In the meantime, the captain told the first officer to fly the aircraft and declare an emergency. The captain worked the abnormal checklists. He had a sea of inoperative flags on his panel so was unsure what instruments were working. The fire was at the area of circuit breaker F3A. This was the standby dc power. About this time, the crew was aware that they had lost control of cabin pressurization. This distraction the so's attention from fire fighting. Cabin control was switched to a backup system and control was re-established. The so found the cockpit halon extinguisher and since there was still a red glow from the circuit breaker panel, discharged it. During this time the captain and first officer tried to don oxygen masks and smoke goggles. They were unable to make the cockpit intercom work. To communication, the oxygen masks had to be lifted from the face. With random electrical items giving warnings, it became evident that the aircraft thought it was on the ground and in the air simultaneously. They had engine reverse thrust warnings, no spoilers on landing. The captain thought the aircraft brakes would also be inoperative. The controllers vectored the aircraft direct to sfo, so the crew had to overfly the airport to establish a downwind for runway 28R. About this time the aircraft flight control channels started to fail, leaving the crew with flight control problems. By continuously resetting the flight control channels they were able to retain enough control to make a successful emergency landing. After landing the captain had to use manual speed brakes, the engine thrust reversers were inoperative, and the engines would not shift out of flight idle. The brakes functioned normally even though they had brake warning lights. At the gate the aircraft doors could not be opened. The crew checked the outflow valves and they indicated full open. After communication was established with ground, mechanics told them the valves were full closed. They tried to turn the packs off. They were unable. They tried to close the pneumatics to the packs. They were again unable. They tried to shut down the engines with the start switches, again unable. Only after pulling the aircraft fire shutoff handles were the engines shut down. After shutdown, the aircraft depressurized and they were able to open the doors. The captain wanted several points stressed: 1) had this been a 2-MAN crew, they would not have survived. 2) the presently installed smoke mask, oxygen masks, is unusable. 3) there should be an internal fire suppression system installed in circuit breaker and panel wiring areas. Maintenance found an improperly installed wiring clamp. Over time, it wore through the insulation and caused a direct short to ground. There was about an inch of dust all over the circuit breakers and wiring. The captain was worried about this catching fire. The area was too burned to tell whether the wiring insulation had burned. It did, however, take 2 halon extinguishers to bring the fire under control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: L1011 CREW HAD AN ELECTRICAL FIRE BEHIND THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL 'PANEL 3, AT CIRCUIT BREAKER 3F1' DC STANDBY PWR. THE SO WAS FIGHTING THE FIRE AND WAS PARTIALLY BLINDED BY THE ARC WELDER TYPE ELECTRICAL ARCING TAKING PLACE.

Narrative: ACR FLT OPERATED FROM HNL TO SFO. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL APPROX 130 NM W OF SFO WHEN AN ELECTRICAL FIRE IN THE COCKPIT OCCURRED BEHIND ONE OF THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANELS. THIS FIRE REQUIRED THE SO TO DISCHARGE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER THROUGH A NARROW SEAM CRACK IN THE PANEL WHICH CAUSED THE FIRE TO EXTINGUISH. THE BRIGHT WHITE ELECTRICAL ARCING LEFT THE SO VISUALLY CHALLENGED. EMER WAS DECLARED AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL, BUT CHALLENGING APCH/LNDG AT SFO. MULTIPLE SYS FAILURES. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 420004: ON FLT FROM HNL TO SFO, FLT WAS APCHING THE CALIFORNIA COAST AT FL360. ZOA HAD JUST RPTED RADAR CONTACT WITH A CLRNC TO DSND AT PLT'S DISCRETION TO 8000 FT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE RED 'ESS/STANDBY PWR' WARNING LIGHT ON PLT'S ANNUNCIATOR PANEL ILLUMINATED, SMOKE IN THE COCKPIT APPEARED AND THE SO ANNOUNCED HE HAD A BRIGHT GLOW WITH SPARKS AND FLAMES VISIBLE THROUGH A CRACK IN THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL ADJACENT TO HIS SEAT. THE CAPT'S AUTOPLT ALSO DROPPED OFF WITH SEVERAL WARNING FLAGS ON HIS FLT INSTS. HE PUT ON THE 'B' AUTOPLT AND XFERRED CTL OF THE ACFT TO ME. THE SO PROCURED A HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND DIRECTED IT INTO THE CRACK IN THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL. THE CAPT AND I HAD DONNED OXYGEN MASKS AS SOON AS WE DETECTED THE SMOKE. CABIN PRESSURIZATION WAS CLBING AND THE SO SELECTED STANDBY PRESSURIZATION TO GET CABIN DSNDING. I DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZOA AND REQUESTED CLRNC DIRECT TO SFO AT HIGH SPD. DURING DSCNT VARIOUS WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED (PITCH TRIM, YAW SAS) WHICH WERE RESET SEVERAL TIMES. WE ENDED UP WITH 1 PITCH TRIM WORKING. THE CAPT HAD PARTIAL COMS FAILURE WITH HIS OXYGEN MASK AND THEN WITH HIS HEADSET/BOOM MIKE. HIS HAND MIKE AND COCKPIT SPEAKER STILL WORKED. APPROX 20 NM FROM SFO, I BEGAN SLOWING THE ACFT. WE BROKE OUT OF THE CLOUDS ABOUT 5000 FT AND SAW THE ARPT. WE MANEUVERED FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 28R. DURING THE APCH, AS GEAR AND FLAPS WERE EXTENDED, WE ENCOUNTERED A GREEN 'ENG #2 FAIL ARMED' LIGHT (NORMALLY 'ON' ONLY ON THE GND DURING TKOF) AND FAILURE OF BOTH DIRECT LIFT CTL/AUTO SPOILERS. WE LANDED NORMALLY WITH A 5 KT TAILWIND. AT TOUCHDOWN, SPOILERS WERE MANUALLY EXTENDED BY THE CAPT. I ATTEMPTED TO SELECT REVERSE THRUST, BUT NO REVERSERS WORKED. ON TAXI IN, WE NOTICED ALL 3 ENGS WERE IN FLT IDLE. AT THE GATE THE SO PANEL SHOWED BOTH OUTFLOW VALVES FULL OPEN, BUT ACFT WAS STILL PRESSURIZED (FLT ATTENDANT COULD NOT OPEN L1 DOOR). SO TRIED TO SHUT DOWN ALL PACKS AND ENG BLEEDS BUT COULD NOT. CAPT ATTEMPTED TO SHUT DOWN ENGS WITH FUEL AND IGNITION SWITCHES, BUT ENGS KEPT RUNNING. ENG FIRE HANDLES WERE PULLED AND ENGS SHUT DOWN IN ABOUT 30 SECONDS. DOOR WAS OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE MANUALLY AND PAX EXITED. FIRE WAS CAUSED BY SHORT AT DC STANDBY CIRCUIT BREAKER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 420006: THIS RPT IS CONCERNING FLT FROM HNL TO SFO. ACFT TYPE IS L1011-250 WITH 295 PAX SEATS AND 64 SOULS ON BOARD, INCLUDING A CREW OF 11. AT TOP OF DSCNT INTO SFO, AN ELECTRICAL FIRE, SMOKE, ARCING, AND ACCOMPANYING SOUNDS OCCURRED INSIDE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL #3. FE WAS ABLE TO VIEW ABOVE THROUGH A SMALL CRACK IN THE PANEL AND UPON WHITE LIGHT SUBSIDING TO RED GLOW INSIDE PANEL, FE PROCEEDED TO ACQUIRE THE COCKPIT HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHER. FINDING HIMSELF TEMPORARILY VISUALLY CHALLENGED FROM LOOKING AT THE BRIGHT ARCING INSIDE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL, THE FE OBTAINED A HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHER FROM A FLT ATTENDANT WHO WAS STANDING JUST OUTSIDE THE COCKPIT DOOR. FIRE EXTINGUISHER (HALON) WAS DISCHARGED THROUGH THE CRACK IN THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL ONTO RED GLOWING AREA WHICH WAS INCREASING IN SIZE AND INTENSITY. THE GLOW WENT OUT. AN EMER WAS DECLARED WITH ZOA AND DURING DSCNT AND APCH PHASES OF FLT, MULTIPLE SYS FAILURES OCCURRED. THE DSCNT, APCH, AND LNDG WERE UNEVENTFUL OTHER THAN THE SYS FAILURES WE EXPERIENCED. AFTER LNDG, TURNOFF AND TAXI TO GATE WERE UNEVENTFUL. PAX DEPLANED AT THE GATE VIA DOOR 1L, AS THEY USUALLY DO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 419799 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CREW WAS FLYING AN L1011-250. THE FLT WAS HNL TO SFO, ALL NIGHT. ABOUT 6 MINS AFTER PASSING THE INBOUND GATEWAY, THE CAPT SAW THE SO IN FRANTIC ACTIVITY AROUND THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL JUST AFT OF HIS STATION. AN INTENSE ELECTRICAL FIRE HAD DEVELOPED BEHIND THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL. ARCING WAS SO INTENSE THAT THE SO WAS PARTIALLY BLINDED BY THE ARCING. THE SO WAS HAVING TROUBLE FINDING THE COCKPIT HALON FIRE EXTINGUISHER. A FLT ATTENDANT THEN ENTERED THE COCKPIT, AND THE SO ASKED HER FOR A CABIN FIRE EXTINGUISHER SHE HAD ONE IMMEDIATELY. IT WAS DISCHARGED FULLY INTO A SLIT IN THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL CLOSEST TO THE FIRE. IN THE MEANTIME, THE CAPT TOLD THE FO TO FLY THE ACFT AND DECLARE AN EMER. THE CAPT WORKED THE ABNORMAL CHKLISTS. HE HAD A SEA OF INOP FLAGS ON HIS PANEL SO WAS UNSURE WHAT INSTS WERE WORKING. THE FIRE WAS AT THE AREA OF CIRCUIT BREAKER F3A. THIS WAS THE STANDBY DC PWR. ABOUT THIS TIME, THE CREW WAS AWARE THAT THEY HAD LOST CTL OF CABIN PRESSURIZATION. THIS DISTR THE SO'S ATTN FROM FIRE FIGHTING. CABIN CTL WAS SWITCHED TO A BACKUP SYS AND CTL WAS RE-ESTABLISHED. THE SO FOUND THE COCKPIT HALON EXTINGUISHER AND SINCE THERE WAS STILL A RED GLOW FROM THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL, DISCHARGED IT. DURING THIS TIME THE CAPT AND FO TRIED TO DON OXYGEN MASKS AND SMOKE GOGGLES. THEY WERE UNABLE TO MAKE THE COCKPIT INTERCOM WORK. TO COM, THE OXYGEN MASKS HAD TO BE LIFTED FROM THE FACE. WITH RANDOM ELECTRICAL ITEMS GIVING WARNINGS, IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT THE ACFT THOUGHT IT WAS ON THE GND AND IN THE AIR SIMULTANEOUSLY. THEY HAD ENG REVERSE THRUST WARNINGS, NO SPOILERS ON LNDG. THE CAPT THOUGHT THE ACFT BRAKES WOULD ALSO BE INOP. THE CTLRS VECTORED THE ACFT DIRECT TO SFO, SO THE CREW HAD TO OVERFLY THE ARPT TO ESTABLISH A DOWNWIND FOR RWY 28R. ABOUT THIS TIME THE ACFT FLT CTL CHANNELS STARTED TO FAIL, LEAVING THE CREW WITH FLT CTL PROBS. BY CONTINUOUSLY RESETTING THE FLT CTL CHANNELS THEY WERE ABLE TO RETAIN ENOUGH CTL TO MAKE A SUCCESSFUL EMER LNDG. AFTER LNDG THE CAPT HAD TO USE MANUAL SPD BRAKES, THE ENG THRUST REVERSERS WERE INOP, AND THE ENGS WOULD NOT SHIFT OUT OF FLT IDLE. THE BRAKES FUNCTIONED NORMALLY EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD BRAKE WARNING LIGHTS. AT THE GATE THE ACFT DOORS COULD NOT BE OPENED. THE CREW CHKED THE OUTFLOW VALVES AND THEY INDICATED FULL OPEN. AFTER COM WAS ESTABLISHED WITH GND, MECHS TOLD THEM THE VALVES WERE FULL CLOSED. THEY TRIED TO TURN THE PACKS OFF. THEY WERE UNABLE. THEY TRIED TO CLOSE THE PNEUMATICS TO THE PACKS. THEY WERE AGAIN UNABLE. THEY TRIED TO SHUT DOWN THE ENGS WITH THE START SWITCHES, AGAIN UNABLE. ONLY AFTER PULLING THE ACFT FIRE SHUTOFF HANDLES WERE THE ENGS SHUT DOWN. AFTER SHUTDOWN, THE ACFT DEPRESSURIZED AND THEY WERE ABLE TO OPEN THE DOORS. THE CAPT WANTED SEVERAL POINTS STRESSED: 1) HAD THIS BEEN A 2-MAN CREW, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE SURVIVED. 2) THE PRESENTLY INSTALLED SMOKE MASK, OXYGEN MASKS, IS UNUSABLE. 3) THERE SHOULD BE AN INTERNAL FIRE SUPPRESSION SYS INSTALLED IN CIRCUIT BREAKER AND PANEL WIRING AREAS. MAINT FOUND AN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED WIRING CLAMP. OVER TIME, IT WORE THROUGH THE INSULATION AND CAUSED A DIRECT SHORT TO GND. THERE WAS ABOUT AN INCH OF DUST ALL OVER THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND WIRING. THE CAPT WAS WORRIED ABOUT THIS CATCHING FIRE. THE AREA WAS TOO BURNED TO TELL WHETHER THE WIRING INSULATION HAD BURNED. IT DID, HOWEVER, TAKE 2 HALON EXTINGUISHERS TO BRING THE FIRE UNDER CTL.

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.