Narrative:

On climb out from glens falls, ny, on IFR flight plan to white plains, ny (hpn) we experienced a loss of most of the captain's flight instruments. Instruments lost include 1) captain's airspeed/mach speed, 2) captain's altimeter, 3) captain's vertical speed instrument, 4) #1 VOR/ILS, 5) #1 transponder, 6) emergency attitude gyroscope, 7) emergency compass, 8) captain's headphone/speaker, 9) TCASII, 10) various panel lights. At the time, the aircraft was in basic VFR conditions so albany approach control was notified of the situation with the possibility of an immediate landing in albany considered. Since VFR conditions prevailed at the time, we advised albany approach control of our desire to orbit north of albany in VFR conditions while we attempted to restore the system. Albany approach approved this request. Investigation disclosed a popped circuit breaker in the emergency utility bus control system. Attempted a reset -- breaker would not reset. Turned off all system on affected bus, reset breaker, restored system one at a time, determined emergency light system caused breaker to pop. Turned off emergency lights. System restored normally. Due to IFR conditions at hpn (300 ft, 7 mi in fog) we elected to remain VFR and land at pou which was basic VFR. Canceled IFR with albany, proceeded VFR along hudson river. En route, conditions began to deteriorate to marginal VFR. Since all system were now restored, we contacted albany approach control for an IFR clearance to hpn. This was received and flight began a climb into IMC to 6000 ft as cleared. At 6000 ft the entire malfunction reoccurred, with all previously mentioned system going inoperative. At this point, with a malfunctioning aircraft and poor WX conditions at our destination (hpn) we elected to return to albany where good VFR WX conditions prevailed. Received clearance back to albany. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was not a glass cockpit but had the standard instruments. The reporter said the instruments that lost power were 1) captain's mach/airspeed, 2) captain's altimeter, 3) vertical speed, 4) #1 VOR/ILS, 5) #1 transponder, 6) emergency attitude gyroscope, 7) emergency compass, 8) captain's headset and speaker, 9) TCASII, 10) various panel lights. The reporter stated the problem was traced to a shorted captain's instrument arming switch.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SABRE 65 ON CLBOUT AT 6000 FT LOST MOST OF CAPT'S FLT INSTS. CAUSED BY A SHORTED CAPT'S INST ARMING SWITCH.

Narrative: ON CLBOUT FROM GLENS FALLS, NY, ON IFR FLT PLAN TO WHITE PLAINS, NY (HPN) WE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF MOST OF THE CAPT'S FLT INSTS. INSTS LOST INCLUDE 1) CAPT'S AIRSPD/MACH SPD, 2) CAPT'S ALTIMETER, 3) CAPT'S VERT SPD INST, 4) #1 VOR/ILS, 5) #1 XPONDER, 6) EMER ATTITUDE GYROSCOPE, 7) EMER COMPASS, 8) CAPT'S HEADPHONE/SPEAKER, 9) TCASII, 10) VARIOUS PANEL LIGHTS. AT THE TIME, THE ACFT WAS IN BASIC VFR CONDITIONS SO ALBANY APCH CTL WAS NOTIFIED OF THE SIT WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF AN IMMEDIATE LNDG IN ALBANY CONSIDERED. SINCE VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT THE TIME, WE ADVISED ALBANY APCH CTL OF OUR DESIRE TO ORBIT N OF ALBANY IN VFR CONDITIONS WHILE WE ATTEMPTED TO RESTORE THE SYS. ALBANY APCH APPROVED THIS REQUEST. INVESTIGATION DISCLOSED A POPPED CIRCUIT BREAKER IN THE EMER UTILITY BUS CTL SYS. ATTEMPTED A RESET -- BREAKER WOULD NOT RESET. TURNED OFF ALL SYS ON AFFECTED BUS, RESET BREAKER, RESTORED SYS ONE AT A TIME, DETERMINED EMER LIGHT SYS CAUSED BREAKER TO POP. TURNED OFF EMER LIGHTS. SYS RESTORED NORMALLY. DUE TO IFR CONDITIONS AT HPN (300 FT, 7 MI IN FOG) WE ELECTED TO REMAIN VFR AND LAND AT POU WHICH WAS BASIC VFR. CANCELED IFR WITH ALBANY, PROCEEDED VFR ALONG HUDSON RIVER. ENRTE, CONDITIONS BEGAN TO DETERIORATE TO MARGINAL VFR. SINCE ALL SYS WERE NOW RESTORED, WE CONTACTED ALBANY APCH CTL FOR AN IFR CLRNC TO HPN. THIS WAS RECEIVED AND FLT BEGAN A CLB INTO IMC TO 6000 FT AS CLRED. AT 6000 FT THE ENTIRE MALFUNCTION REOCCURRED, WITH ALL PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED SYS GOING INOP. AT THIS POINT, WITH A MALFUNCTIONING ACFT AND POOR WX CONDITIONS AT OUR DEST (HPN) WE ELECTED TO RETURN TO ALBANY WHERE GOOD VFR WX CONDITIONS PREVAILED. RECEIVED CLRNC BACK TO ALBANY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS NOT A GLASS COCKPIT BUT HAD THE STANDARD INSTS. THE RPTR SAID THE INSTS THAT LOST PWR WERE 1) CAPT'S MACH/AIRSPD, 2) CAPT'S ALTIMETER, 3) VERT SPD, 4) #1 VOR/ILS, 5) #1 XPONDER, 6) EMER ATTITUDE GYROSCOPE, 7) EMER COMPASS, 8) CAPT'S HEADSET AND SPEAKER, 9) TCASII, 10) VARIOUS PANEL LIGHTS. THE RPTR STATED THE PROB WAS TRACED TO A SHORTED CAPT'S INST ARMING SWITCH.

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.