Narrative:

Battery overheat light illuminated and emergency checklist called D/C power off. This we felt was ambiguous. We shut off the battery + the generators because we felt we needed communications. All of this lead to emergency gear down and a fearless landing. We called for the fire trucks to be rolled just in case. The landing was uneventful and the passengers were offloaded at the gate. As a result, our company is going to change the checklist to read more clearly. The proper action in this case would have been to simply switch off the battery, however the checklist called for 'D/C power off'. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the battery overheat light came on durning our descent for approach. The reporter said a quick check of the operating manual for battery overheat warning stated 'D.C. Power off' no other steps or procedures. The reporter said this required swithcing off two perfectly operating engine driven generators and the battery. The reporter stated the source of emergency power is the battery which was switched off. The reporter said las was advised to roll the trucks as we were landing without electrical power and then switched D.C. Power off. The reporter claims this manual needs revision but so far no action by the company and the FAA advised taking care of it in house.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FAIRCHILD F-27 ON APCH AT 6000' DELCARED AN EMERGENCY AND LANDED WITH NO D.C. ELECTRICAL PWR CAUSED BY A BATTERY OVERHEAT WARNING LIGHT.

Narrative: BATTERY OVERHEAT LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND EMERGENCY CHECKLIST CALLED D/C PWR OFF. THIS WE FELT WAS AMBIGUOUS. WE SHUT OFF THE BATTERY + THE GENERATORS BECAUSE WE FELT WE NEEDED COMMUNICATIONS. ALL OF THIS LEAD TO EMERGENCY GEAR DOWN AND A FEARLESS LNDG. WE CALLED FOR THE FIRE TRUCKS TO BE ROLLED JUST IN CASE. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND THE PASSENGERS WERE OFFLOADED AT THE GATE. AS A RESULT, OUR COMPANY IS GOING TO CHANGE THE CHECKLIST TO READ MORE CLEARLY. THE PROPER ACTION IN THIS CASE WOULD HAVE BEEN TO SIMPLY SWITCH OFF THE BATTERY, HOWEVER THE CHECKLIST CALLED FOR 'D/C PWR OFF'. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE BATTERY OVERHEAT LIGHT CAME ON DURNING OUR DESCENT FOR APCH. THE RPTR SAID A QUICK CHECK OF THE OPERATING MANUAL FOR BATTERY OVERHEAT WARNING STATED 'D.C. PWR OFF' NO OTHER STEPS OR PROCEDURES. THE RPTR SAID THIS REQUIRED SWITHCING OFF TWO PERFECTLY OPERATING ENGINE DRIVEN GENERATORS AND THE BATTERY. THE RPTR STATED THE SOURCE OF EMERGENCY PWR IS THE BATTERY WHICH WAS SWITCHED OFF. THE RPTR SAID LAS WAS ADVISED TO ROLL THE TRUCKS AS WE WERE LNDG WITHOUT ELECTRICAL PWR AND THEN SWITCHED D.C. PWR OFF. THE RPTR CLAIMS THIS MANUAL NEEDS REVISION BUT SO FAR NO ACTION BY THE COMPANY AND THE FAA ADVISED TAKING CARE OF IT IN HOUSE.

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.