An A320 captain reports gpu at a gate in ZZZ trips power off airplane causing disruptions of system ...

Attributes
ACN	641180
Time
Date	200412
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	641180
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : power panel indications other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Airport Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

At gate, the external power tripped off 2 times during flight attendant briefing, and then I started the APU. Due to the aircraft being unpwred for a while we had serious #2 engine problems on start that required a return to gate, reset of fadec by maintenance and 1 hour 30 min delay. This also snowballed with delays the rest of the day on that aircraft. The first officer had seen a ground guy wiggle the external power cord and at first we thought it was his wiggling the cord that caused the problem. But when we arrived back in ZZZ after a maintenance carry-over turn we returned to gate and were connected with external power and it again tripped off on its own and we had to start the APU. The incoming captain said the power had been bad at this gate for over a week. If that's the case, please don't use it and have the crews use the APU. Loss of power on an airbus results in many problems, usually not found until after push and start.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 CAPT RPTS GPU AT A GATE IN ZZZ TRIPS PWR OFF AIRPLANE CAUSING DISRUPTIONS OF SYS AND PROGRAMS INCURRING DELAYS.

Narrative: AT GATE, THE EXTERNAL PWR TRIPPED OFF 2 TIMES DURING FLT ATTENDANT BRIEFING, AND THEN I STARTED THE APU. DUE TO THE ACFT BEING UNPWRED FOR A WHILE WE HAD SERIOUS #2 ENG PROBS ON START THAT REQUIRED A RETURN TO GATE, RESET OF FADEC BY MAINT AND 1 HR 30 MIN DELAY. THIS ALSO SNOWBALLED WITH DELAYS THE REST OF THE DAY ON THAT ACFT. THE FO HAD SEEN A GND GUY WIGGLE THE EXTERNAL PWR CORD AND AT FIRST WE THOUGHT IT WAS HIS WIGGLING THE CORD THAT CAUSED THE PROB. BUT WHEN WE ARRIVED BACK IN ZZZ AFTER A MAINT CARRY-OVER TURN WE RETURNED TO GATE AND WERE CONNECTED WITH EXTERNAL PWR AND IT AGAIN TRIPPED OFF ON ITS OWN AND WE HAD TO START THE APU. THE INCOMING CAPT SAID THE PWR HAD BEEN BAD AT THIS GATE FOR OVER A WK. IF THAT'S THE CASE, PLEASE DON'T USE IT AND HAVE THE CREWS USE THE APU. LOSS OF PWR ON AN AIRBUS RESULTS IN MANY PROBS, USUALLY NOT FOUND UNTIL AFTER PUSH AND START.

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 A320 captain reports gpu at a gate in ZZZ trips power off airplane causing disruptions of system and programs incurring delays.