An MD80 in climb at FL260 diverted due to 'AC x-tie lockout' warning light, captain's partial instru...

Attributes
ACN	546173
Time
Date	200205
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	navaid : btg.vortac
State Reference	WA
Altitude	msl single value : 26000
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zse.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other vortac
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	546173
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical cabin event other other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : a.c. crosstie lockout light other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport other
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Cabin Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Flight was en route to oak with everything normal. Climbing through FL260 for FL330 (captain flying), we got the 'AC x-tie lockout,' 'left generator inoperative' and 'left generator feeder fault' lights all on at once. I lost some of my flight instrumentation and gave control of the aircraft to the copilot and selected #2 dfgc. I ran the QRH for the 'AC x-tie lockout' and started the APU while the copilot got clearance to level at FL280. The left generator would not reset and showed zero frequency and volts, but the APU took over the left busses and we restored power to all the busses. We tried to patch maintenance control and dispatch through ZZZ operations, but were not able to, so had ZZZ operations and maintenance pass our information to maintenance control and dispatch. With the 'feeder fault' light still on, we decided to return to ZZZ as a precaution. We talked to the flight attendants when the generator first failed and then again about 5-8 mins after the occurrence, to let them know that we were returning to ZZZ, but were not expecting an emergency or evacuate/evacuation. About 15 mins after arriving at the gate (passenger had already deplaned), the crew did a 'debrief' and it was apparent that the flight attendants were sick and several were actually on oxygen. Their symptoms seemed consistent with an air quality incident and they were starting to feel worse, not better. The emt's were called and they arrived and assessed the flight attendants. An ambulance was called and the 3 flight attendants and myself went to the hospital emergency room. They were seen by a doctor. The pilots did not feel any symptoms nor did we smell any fumes or odors, but there are many variables that affect pilots and flight attendants differently (active up and down the aisles versus sitting, position in the aircraft, yaw, etc). I believe the flight attendants' symptoms were very real, but do not have a good explanation for the 'air quality' type scenario. I might add that the failed generator got so hot that part of the casing actually melted.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 IN CLB AT FL260 DIVERTED DUE TO 'AC X-TIE LOCKOUT' WARNING LIGHT, CAPT'S PARTIAL INST FAILURE WITH 'L GENERATOR INOP' WITH 'L FEEDER FAULT.' CAUSED BY FAILED L GENERATOR.

Narrative: FLT WAS ENRTE TO OAK WITH EVERYTHING NORMAL. CLBING THROUGH FL260 FOR FL330 (CAPT FLYING), WE GOT THE 'AC X-TIE LOCKOUT,' 'L GENERATOR INOP' AND 'L GENERATOR FEEDER FAULT' LIGHTS ALL ON AT ONCE. I LOST SOME OF MY FLT INSTRUMENTATION AND GAVE CTL OF THE ACFT TO THE COPLT AND SELECTED #2 DFGC. I RAN THE QRH FOR THE 'AC X-TIE LOCKOUT' AND STARTED THE APU WHILE THE COPLT GOT CLRNC TO LEVEL AT FL280. THE L GENERATOR WOULD NOT RESET AND SHOWED ZERO FREQ AND VOLTS, BUT THE APU TOOK OVER THE L BUSSES AND WE RESTORED PWR TO ALL THE BUSSES. WE TRIED TO PATCH MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH THROUGH ZZZ OPS, BUT WERE NOT ABLE TO, SO HAD ZZZ OPS AND MAINT PASS OUR INFO TO MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH. WITH THE 'FEEDER FAULT' LIGHT STILL ON, WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO ZZZ AS A PRECAUTION. WE TALKED TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS WHEN THE GENERATOR FIRST FAILED AND THEN AGAIN ABOUT 5-8 MINS AFTER THE OCCURRENCE, TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO ZZZ, BUT WERE NOT EXPECTING AN EMER OR EVAC. ABOUT 15 MINS AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE (PAX HAD ALREADY DEPLANED), THE CREW DID A 'DEBRIEF' AND IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE SICK AND SEVERAL WERE ACTUALLY ON OXYGEN. THEIR SYMPTOMS SEEMED CONSISTENT WITH AN AIR QUALITY INCIDENT AND THEY WERE STARTING TO FEEL WORSE, NOT BETTER. THE EMT'S WERE CALLED AND THEY ARRIVED AND ASSESSED THE FLT ATTENDANTS. AN AMBULANCE WAS CALLED AND THE 3 FLT ATTENDANTS AND MYSELF WENT TO THE HOSPITAL EMER ROOM. THEY WERE SEEN BY A DOCTOR. THE PLTS DID NOT FEEL ANY SYMPTOMS NOR DID WE SMELL ANY FUMES OR ODORS, BUT THERE ARE MANY VARIABLES THAT AFFECT PLTS AND FLT ATTENDANTS DIFFERENTLY (ACTIVE UP AND DOWN THE AISLES VERSUS SITTING, POS IN THE ACFT, YAW, ETC). I BELIEVE THE FLT ATTENDANTS' SYMPTOMS WERE VERY REAL, BUT DO NOT HAVE A GOOD EXPLANATION FOR THE 'AIR QUALITY' TYPE SCENARIO. I MIGHT ADD THAT THE FAILED GENERATOR GOT SO HOT THAT PART OF THE CASING ACTUALLY MELTED.

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.

An MD80 in climb at FL260 diverted due to 'AC x-tie lockout' warning light, captain's partial instrument failure with 'left generator inoperative' with 'left feeder fault.' caused by failed left generator.