Narrative:

On mar/tue/04 while conducting flight operations on flight to ZZZ and acting as first officer on a B737-300, captain and myself, first officer, declared an emergency en route to ZZZ. While en route approximately 125 mi out of ZZZ and before beginning our descent, captain noticed during our hourly check that our oxygen pressure gauge was reading between 300-500 psi. Captain noted it, wrote it up in the logbook and called maintenance to notify them of the early maintenance write-up. Approximately 10 mins later, I started our descent and within a few mins I noticed a 'cracking' noise and 'flashing' coming from the circuit breaker panel behind the captain's head. I notified the captain (as he could not see it). Captain said to declare an emergency and 'get this aircraft on the ground as soon as possible.' I declared an emergency, and the captain got out the fire extinguisher and fired it at the area. We noticed that there were approximately 10-20 circuit breakers popped out on the lower half of his panel. I continued the descent and subsequent landing (with no landing lights) without further event. After we taxied in to the gate, the first person on the aircraft was a fireman with an infrared heat detector, and he wanted us to exit the cockpit so he could check it out. The next person was a maintenance technician wanting to look it over. We had the passenger exit the aircraft, and after they did so I was able to get my flight bag out of the cockpit and I was able to get the logbook so I could enter the flight times. I was told to hang around a few mins because there was to be a conference call with maintenance office. We went downstairs and conducted the call and were told that was everything they needed. Captain and I went back upstairs, got our bags and left. Neither captain nor I entered the resulting emergency write-up into the logbook. I believe it was in one of the maintenance person's possession and it escaped our minds due to the event.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 ON DSCNT AT FL290 DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO CRACKLING NOISE AND FLASHING FROM CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL BEHIND CAPT'S HEAD.

Narrative: ON MAR/TUE/04 WHILE CONDUCTING FLT OPS ON FLT TO ZZZ AND ACTING AS FO ON A B737-300, CAPT AND MYSELF, FO, DECLARED AN EMER ENRTE TO ZZZ. WHILE ENRTE APPROX 125 MI OUT OF ZZZ AND BEFORE BEGINNING OUR DSCNT, CAPT NOTICED DURING OUR HRLY CHK THAT OUR OXYGEN PRESSURE GAUGE WAS READING BTWN 300-500 PSI. CAPT NOTED IT, WROTE IT UP IN THE LOGBOOK AND CALLED MAINT TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE EARLY MAINT WRITE-UP. APPROX 10 MINS LATER, I STARTED OUR DSCNT AND WITHIN A FEW MINS I NOTICED A 'CRACKING' NOISE AND 'FLASHING' COMING FROM THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL BEHIND THE CAPT'S HEAD. I NOTIFIED THE CAPT (AS HE COULD NOT SEE IT). CAPT SAID TO DECLARE AN EMER AND 'GET THIS ACFT ON THE GND ASAP.' I DECLARED AN EMER, AND THE CAPT GOT OUT THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND FIRED IT AT THE AREA. WE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE APPROX 10-20 CIRCUIT BREAKERS POPPED OUT ON THE LOWER HALF OF HIS PANEL. I CONTINUED THE DSCNT AND SUBSEQUENT LNDG (WITH NO LNDG LIGHTS) WITHOUT FURTHER EVENT. AFTER WE TAXIED IN TO THE GATE, THE FIRST PERSON ON THE ACFT WAS A FIREMAN WITH AN INFRARED HEAT DETECTOR, AND HE WANTED US TO EXIT THE COCKPIT SO HE COULD CHK IT OUT. THE NEXT PERSON WAS A MAINT TECHNICIAN WANTING TO LOOK IT OVER. WE HAD THE PAX EXIT THE ACFT, AND AFTER THEY DID SO I WAS ABLE TO GET MY FLT BAG OUT OF THE COCKPIT AND I WAS ABLE TO GET THE LOGBOOK SO I COULD ENTER THE FLT TIMES. I WAS TOLD TO HANG AROUND A FEW MINS BECAUSE THERE WAS TO BE A CONFERENCE CALL WITH MAINT OFFICE. WE WENT DOWNSTAIRS AND CONDUCTED THE CALL AND WERE TOLD THAT WAS EVERYTHING THEY NEEDED. CAPT AND I WENT BACK UPSTAIRS, GOT OUR BAGS AND LEFT. NEITHER CAPT NOR I ENTERED THE RESULTING EMER WRITE-UP INTO THE LOGBOOK. I BELIEVE IT WAS IN ONE OF THE MAINT PERSON'S POSSESSION AND IT ESCAPED OUR MINDS DUE TO 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.