B767 flight crew experience a left generator trip off line. They are unable to get APU started so th...

Attributes
ACN	633361
Time
Date	200410
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla.artcc tracon : sct.tracon tower : lax.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-300 and 300 ER
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude climbout : initial
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 21000 flight time type : 280
ASRS Report	633361
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	aircraft : equipment problem dissipated flight crew : landed as precaution flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

As the gear was retracted, the left generator tripped off line. I asked for the APU to be started. It did not start. We got the flight manual out and proceeded with the appropriate check for the left generator. We accomplished the procedure and got the left generator back. We then attempted another APU start, but there was no rotation. All our indications showed normal start sequencing, but no rotation. We decided to return to lax. Maintenance svced the left idg with oil, checked and started the APU. A new maintenance release was generated with the instruction to start the APU in-flight for ETOPS verification. We departed lax again. After climbing through FL240, we attempted another APU start. Again, all indications showed normal start sequencing but no rotation. We continued our climb to FL340. We contacted dispatch and decided we would turn back for lax again if we could not get the APU started. We tried one last attempt but this time I held the start switch in start and immediately APU N2 indication (on status page) started rotating. Normal acceleration and egt rise was observed. When APU reached 100% the run light came on steady, I released the start switch and the APU ran normally. We left it on for about 25 mins. We notified dispatch that the APU was up and running. We were still about 20 mins from entering ETOPS airspace. Dispatch asked for confirmation that the APU was running. We told him it was. He sent us our ETOPS WX. We continued to hnl.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 FLT CREW EXPERIENCE A L GENERATOR TRIP OFF LINE. THEY ARE UNABLE TO GET APU STARTED SO THEY RETURN TO LAX AFTER RESETTING THE GENERATOR. MAINT OPS CHKED THE APU OK. AFTER DEP, THE FLT CREW COULDN'T START THE APU UNLESS HOLDING THE START BUTTON.

Narrative: AS THE GEAR WAS RETRACTED, THE L GENERATOR TRIPPED OFF LINE. I ASKED FOR THE APU TO BE STARTED. IT DID NOT START. WE GOT THE FLT MANUAL OUT AND PROCEEDED WITH THE APPROPRIATE CHK FOR THE L GENERATOR. WE ACCOMPLISHED THE PROC AND GOT THE L GENERATOR BACK. WE THEN ATTEMPTED ANOTHER APU START, BUT THERE WAS NO ROTATION. ALL OUR INDICATIONS SHOWED NORMAL START SEQUENCING, BUT NO ROTATION. WE DECIDED TO RETURN TO LAX. MAINT SVCED THE L IDG WITH OIL, CHKED AND STARTED THE APU. A NEW MAINT RELEASE WAS GENERATED WITH THE INSTRUCTION TO START THE APU INFLT FOR ETOPS VERIFICATION. WE DEPARTED LAX AGAIN. AFTER CLBING THROUGH FL240, WE ATTEMPTED ANOTHER APU START. AGAIN, ALL INDICATIONS SHOWED NORMAL START SEQUENCING BUT NO ROTATION. WE CONTINUED OUR CLB TO FL340. WE CONTACTED DISPATCH AND DECIDED WE WOULD TURN BACK FOR LAX AGAIN IF WE COULD NOT GET THE APU STARTED. WE TRIED ONE LAST ATTEMPT BUT THIS TIME I HELD THE START SWITCH IN START AND IMMEDIATELY APU N2 INDICATION (ON STATUS PAGE) STARTED ROTATING. NORMAL ACCELERATION AND EGT RISE WAS OBSERVED. WHEN APU REACHED 100% THE RUN LIGHT CAME ON STEADY, I RELEASED THE START SWITCH AND THE APU RAN NORMALLY. WE LEFT IT ON FOR ABOUT 25 MINS. WE NOTIFIED DISPATCH THAT THE APU WAS UP AND RUNNING. WE WERE STILL ABOUT 20 MINS FROM ENTERING ETOPS AIRSPACE. DISPATCH ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION THAT THE APU WAS RUNNING. WE TOLD HIM IT WAS. HE SENT US OUR ETOPS WX. WE CONTINUED TO HNL.

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.

B767 flight crew experience a left generator trip off line. They are unable to get APU started so they return to lax after resetting the generator. Maintenance operations checked the APU ok. After departure, the flight crew couldn't start the APU unless holding the start button.