Narrative:

While in cruise flight at FL290; the captain inadvertently hit his head on the overhead panel while getting out of his seat. Shortly thereafter; we received an aural warning to which I noticed yellow lines through VNAV; LNAV; and cmd on my ADI display. I immediately started to hand fly the aircraft assuming that the autoplt was inoperative. At about the same time I noticed that the flap indicator showed flaps 1 degree and we discovered that there were multiple EICAS caution messages as well. The captain then discovered that the transponder and communication #1 were inoperative and we attempted to contact center on 121.5 with no luck. Fortunately; we were able to remember the last assigned frequency; 133.6; and re-establish communications with center and declared an emergency at that time. I thought aloud that this could be an electrical failure of some sort due to the multiple system failures and as the captain read each EICAS message to determine where we should start to resolve issues; he came across the standby power message. As he looked up to the overhead panel; we both discovered that the standby power switch was in the off position and the standby power off light was illuminated. The captain selected standby and immediately all system were restored. Evidently his head hit the standby power switch in just the right place at just the right angle and it went to the off position. Center was told that all system were normal; and we continued to destination uneventfully.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MULTIPLE MALFUNCTIONS ON A B767 ARE TRACED TO THE LOSS OF STANDBY PWR CAUSED BY THE INADVERTENT PLACEMENT OF THE STANDBY PWR SWITCH TO OFF WHEN THE PLT BUMPED HIS HEAD ON THE OVERHEAD PANEL AS HE LEFT HIS SEAT.

Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE FLT AT FL290; THE CAPT INADVERTENTLY HIT HIS HEAD ON THE OVERHEAD PANEL WHILE GETTING OUT OF HIS SEAT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; WE RECEIVED AN AURAL WARNING TO WHICH I NOTICED YELLOW LINES THROUGH VNAV; LNAV; AND CMD ON MY ADI DISPLAY. I IMMEDIATELY STARTED TO HAND FLY THE ACFT ASSUMING THAT THE AUTOPLT WAS INOP. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME I NOTICED THAT THE FLAP INDICATOR SHOWED FLAPS 1 DEG AND WE DISCOVERED THAT THERE WERE MULTIPLE EICAS CAUTION MESSAGES AS WELL. THE CAPT THEN DISCOVERED THAT THE XPONDER AND COM #1 WERE INOP AND WE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT CTR ON 121.5 WITH NO LUCK. FORTUNATELY; WE WERE ABLE TO REMEMBER THE LAST ASSIGNED FREQ; 133.6; AND RE-ESTABLISH COMS WITH CTR AND DECLARED AN EMER AT THAT TIME. I THOUGHT ALOUD THAT THIS COULD BE AN ELECTRICAL FAILURE OF SOME SORT DUE TO THE MULTIPLE SYS FAILURES AND AS THE CAPT READ EACH EICAS MESSAGE TO DETERMINE WHERE WE SHOULD START TO RESOLVE ISSUES; HE CAME ACROSS THE STANDBY PWR MESSAGE. AS HE LOOKED UP TO THE OVERHEAD PANEL; WE BOTH DISCOVERED THAT THE STANDBY PWR SWITCH WAS IN THE OFF POS AND THE STANDBY PWR OFF LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CAPT SELECTED STANDBY AND IMMEDIATELY ALL SYS WERE RESTORED. EVIDENTLY HIS HEAD HIT THE STANDBY PWR SWITCH IN JUST THE RIGHT PLACE AT JUST THE RIGHT ANGLE AND IT WENT TO THE OFF POS. CTR WAS TOLD THAT ALL SYS WERE NORMAL; AND WE CONTINUED TO DEST UNEVENTFULLY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.