 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
An MD83 in cruise at FL330 declared an emergency and diverted due to loss of electrical power and partial loss of the emergency bus.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 495827 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200012 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : bil.airport |
| State Reference | MT |
| Altitude | msl single value : 33000 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zlc.artcc |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | MD-83 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other vortac |
| Flight Phase | cruise : level |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 6300 flight time type : 1200 |
| ASRS Report | 495827 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : bus power fail lights other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
At cruise altitude (FL330), we experienced a total electrical failure. It was necessary to declare an emergency and deviate from our ATC clearance. We were vectored to billings, mt (nearest airport) where a successful landing was accomplished. No damage occurred to the aircraft and no passenger or crew were injured. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated all primary power was lost and the standby AC inverter was inoperative limiting the airplane to #1 communication and the captain's standby attitude indicator. The reporter said the cause of this failure is not fully known but the standby inverter was replaced, generator control units and relays were also replaced. The reporter said maintenance has not advised flight operations of the primary cause of this serious failure.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN MD83 IN CRUISE AT FL330 DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO LOSS OF ELECTRICAL PWR AND PARTIAL LOSS OF THE EMER BUS.
Narrative: AT CRUISE ALT (FL330), WE EXPERIENCED A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE. IT WAS NECESSARY TO DECLARE AN EMER AND DEVIATE FROM OUR ATC CLRNC. WE WERE VECTORED TO BILLINGS, MT (NEAREST ARPT) WHERE A SUCCESSFUL LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED. NO DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE ACFT AND NO PAX OR CREW WERE INJURED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED ALL PRIMARY PWR WAS LOST AND THE STANDBY AC INVERTER WAS INOP LIMITING THE AIRPLANE TO #1 COM AND THE CAPT'S STANDBY ATTITUDE INDICATOR. THE RPTR SAID THE CAUSE OF THIS FAILURE IS NOT FULLY KNOWN BUT THE STANDBY INVERTER WAS REPLACED, GENERATOR CTL UNITS AND RELAYS WERE ALSO REPLACED. THE RPTR SAID MAINT HAS NOT ADVISED FLT OPS OF THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF THIS SERIOUS FAILURE.
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.