Narrative:

A total electrical failure was experienced in cruise flight resulting in non compliance with ATC instructions. An emergency was declared. Various non authority/authorized procedures as well as normal, abnormal and emergency checklists were used to restore electrical power to the aircraft, none were successful resulting in approach and landing above normal speeds and without usual flap settings. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the aircraft lost all electrical power, AC, dc, the APU, and the battery. The standby instruments were unpowered. All communication was lost. The crew made a descent for an emergency landing at bil. ATC was clearing the way and bil tower alerted crash fire rescue equipment. All runway lights were being turned to maximum and then down until the tower was assured the crew had the airport in sight. The only lighting that worked were the emergency battery powered lights over the doors. The FAA was on scene and quarantined the aircraft and all parts. This aircraft had recently been acquired from another united states certified air carrier. This air carrier contracts their maintenance to a private repair station, which is not connected to the air carrier. The following was found on aircraft examination. Aircraft wiring had been altered and was unapproved. Aircraft electrical relays and airports were of foreign manufacturer and were bogus and not approved. It was felt the original problem originated in the right AC bus. Because of the unauthorized wiring modifications and bogus electrical control relays the rest of the AC and dc system was pulled down, including the battery. The captain stated all of the aircraft fail safe system worked as advertised. He was thankful that they were in VMC conditions and for the superior ATC handling of the event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD83 CREW HAD TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE IN ZLC CLASS A.

Narrative: A TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED IN CRUISE FLT RESULTING IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH ATC INSTRUCTIONS. AN EMER WAS DECLARED. VARIOUS NON AUTH PROCS AS WELL AS NORMAL, ABNORMAL AND EMER CHKLISTS WERE USED TO RESTORE ELECTRICAL PWR TO THE ACFT, NONE WERE SUCCESSFUL RESULTING IN APCH AND LNDG ABOVE NORMAL SPDS AND WITHOUT USUAL FLAP SETTINGS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ACFT LOST ALL ELECTRICAL PWR, AC, DC, THE APU, AND THE BATTERY. THE STANDBY INSTS WERE UNPOWERED. ALL COM WAS LOST. THE CREW MADE A DSCNT FOR AN EMER LNDG AT BIL. ATC WAS CLRING THE WAY AND BIL TWR ALERTED CFR. ALL RWY LIGHTS WERE BEING TURNED TO MAX AND THEN DOWN UNTIL THE TWR WAS ASSURED THE CREW HAD THE ARPT IN SIGHT. THE ONLY LIGHTING THAT WORKED WERE THE EMER BATTERY POWERED LIGHTS OVER THE DOORS. THE FAA WAS ON SCENE AND QUARANTINED THE ACFT AND ALL PARTS. THIS ACFT HAD RECENTLY BEEN ACQUIRED FROM ANOTHER UNITED STATES CERTIFIED ACR. THIS ACR CONTRACTS THEIR MAINT TO A PVT REPAIR STATION, WHICH IS NOT CONNECTED TO THE ACR. THE FOLLOWING WAS FOUND ON ACFT EXAMINATION. ACFT WIRING HAD BEEN ALTERED AND WAS UNAPPROVED. ACFT ELECTRICAL RELAYS AND ARPTS WERE OF FOREIGN MANUFACTURER AND WERE BOGUS AND NOT APPROVED. IT WAS FELT THE ORIGINAL PROB ORIGINATED IN THE R AC BUS. BECAUSE OF THE UNAUTH WIRING MODIFICATIONS AND BOGUS ELECTRICAL CTL RELAYS THE REST OF THE AC AND DC SYS WAS PULLED DOWN, INCLUDING THE BATTERY. THE CAPT STATED ALL OF THE ACFT FAIL SAFE SYS WORKED AS ADVERTISED. HE WAS THANKFUL THAT THEY WERE IN VMC CONDITIONS AND FOR THE SUPERIOR ATC HANDLING OF THE EVENT.

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.