<< >> NASA ASRS Report 610841, March 2004

B737-300 crew had electrical arcing and flashing coming from above the captain's circuit breaker panel, near the ceiling.

Attributes
ACN	610841
Time
Date	200403
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : las.airport
State Reference	NV
Altitude	msl single value : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : l30.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	610841
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During descent through 14000 ft, about 50 mi from las, arcing started occurring behind the cockpit ceiling above captain's circuit breaker panel. We declared an emergency and received priority handling into las. The first officer was the PF and he continued to fly while I got the fire extinguisher and fired it between a space in the ceiling trim where the arcing was occurring. This, along with numerous circuit breakers that popped, took care of the problem. I then called the flight attendants to see if anything was going on in the cabin. They said the emergency exit lights were occasionally flashing on and off, but otherwise everything was normal. I then checked which circuit breakers were out. Only non essential items were affected, such as miscellaneous lights, equipment cooling fans, pitot heat, etc. The landing was normal and we taxied to the gate with the emergency vehicles following. Passenger deplaning was through the jetway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW HAD ELECTRICAL ARCING AND FLASHING COMING FROM ABOVE THE CAPT'S CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL, NEAR THE CEILING.

Narrative: DURING DSCNT THROUGH 14000 FT, ABOUT 50 MI FROM LAS, ARCING STARTED OCCURRING BEHIND THE COCKPIT CEILING ABOVE CAPT'S CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND RECEIVED PRIORITY HANDLING INTO LAS. THE FO WAS THE PF AND HE CONTINUED TO FLY WHILE I GOT THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND FIRED IT BTWN A SPACE IN THE CEILING TRIM WHERE THE ARCING WAS OCCURRING. THIS, ALONG WITH NUMEROUS CIRCUIT BREAKERS THAT POPPED, TOOK CARE OF THE PROB. I THEN CALLED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO SEE IF ANYTHING WAS GOING ON IN THE CABIN. THEY SAID THE EMER EXIT LIGHTS WERE OCCASIONALLY FLASHING ON AND OFF, BUT OTHERWISE EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. I THEN CHKED WHICH CIRCUIT BREAKERS WERE OUT. ONLY NON ESSENTIAL ITEMS WERE AFFECTED, SUCH AS MISCELLANEOUS LIGHTS, EQUIP COOLING FANS, PITOT HEAT, ETC. THE LNDG WAS NORMAL AND WE TAXIED TO THE GATE WITH THE EMER VEHICLES FOLLOWING. PAX DEPLANING WAS THROUGH THE JETWAY.

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.