Narrative:

Just after takeoff; we received an ECAM and master caution: 'electrical dc ess bus shedding below 250 ft.' I was the PF; and I continued the takeoff normally. Shortly thereafter; we received several additional faults: navigation GPWS; terrain detent fault; followed by 'cond aft crg heat fault' and 'cond aft crg isolation valve fault.' the captain instructed me to fly the aircraft and handle the radio; while he addressed the ECAM. We then declared an emergency and told ATC we tripped left electrical bay. I made preparations for a visual approach while the captain spoke with the purser suggesting a cabin advisory. The captain spoke over the PA to the passenger and let them know that we were returning to the airport. ATC advised us that emergency equipment would meet the aircraft at the runway. The decision to return to was based upon the multiple system faults due to the ess dc bus shedding and the tripping of the left electrical bay circuit breaker. We were unsure as to the extent of system malfunctions and failure of several flight control computers. The avionics cooling was also in question; which was why we returned so quickly. As a result; we had an overweight landing of about 1800 pounds. ATC vectored us for a visual approach to runway 35L. Upon switching to tower frequency; ATC announced windshear -- 10 KTS and another of -20 KTS short final. We asked ATC the conditions of runway 35R and tower said no windshear reported runway 35R. We told tower if we could change to runway 35R since the aircraft in front of us on runway 35L had executed a go around due to windshear. Tower cleared us for the visual to runway 35R. The tower controller then said 'it appears you are lined up for runway 35R...you were cleared for runway 34R.' we executed a issued approach and informed the tower we were continuing on runway heading and climbing. The tower seemed to be task saturated with the number of gars and the handling of all the aircraft and the multiple windshear and microburst alert announcements. After some confusion with the tower; we switched to departure control. We asked about wind conditions on the ground and we were informed of several runways with windshear and microburst alerts. Approach told us then of calm winds on runway 7 abd we were then cleared for the visual approach and landing on runway 7. I made the landing which was uneventful and cleared the runway. We taxied to the gate. After block-in at gate; the passenger deplaned; mechanics met us in the cockpit and we debriefed them. The captain called dispatch and the duty manager and briefed them as well. The captain also called maintenance control and gave them the 1) overweight landing report with a weight of 143800 pounds; flap full normal touchdown; 2) received electrical dc buss shedding upon liftoff with multiple faults. Callback conversation with reporter acn 700355 revealed the following information: reporter could not provide any information beyond that contained in his report.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE CREW OF AN A320 EXPERIENCED A PARTIAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE AT LIFTOFF (DC ESS BUS SHEDDING). WHEN SECONDARY ELECTRICAL FAILURE INDICATIONS APPEARED ON ECAM; THEY DECLARED AN EMER AND RETURNED.

Narrative: JUST AFTER TKOF; WE RECEIVED AN ECAM AND MASTER CAUTION: 'ELECTRICAL DC ESS BUS SHEDDING BELOW 250 FT.' I WAS THE PF; AND I CONTINUED THE TKOF NORMALLY. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; WE RECEIVED SEVERAL ADDITIONAL FAULTS: NAV GPWS; TERRAIN DETENT FAULT; FOLLOWED BY 'COND AFT CRG HEAT FAULT' AND 'COND AFT CRG ISOLATION VALVE FAULT.' THE CAPT INSTRUCTED ME TO FLY THE ACFT AND HANDLE THE RADIO; WHILE HE ADDRESSED THE ECAM. WE THEN DECLARED AN EMER AND TOLD ATC WE TRIPPED L ELECTRICAL BAY. I MADE PREPARATIONS FOR A VISUAL APCH WHILE THE CAPT SPOKE WITH THE PURSER SUGGESTING A CABIN ADVISORY. THE CAPT SPOKE OVER THE PA TO THE PAX AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WE WERE RETURNING TO THE ARPT. ATC ADVISED US THAT EMER EQUIP WOULD MEET THE ACFT AT THE RWY. THE DECISION TO RETURN TO WAS BASED UPON THE MULTIPLE SYS FAULTS DUE TO THE ESS DC BUS SHEDDING AND THE TRIPPING OF THE L ELECTRICAL BAY CIRCUIT BREAKER. WE WERE UNSURE AS TO THE EXTENT OF SYS MALFUNCTIONS AND FAILURE OF SEVERAL FLT CTL COMPUTERS. THE AVIONICS COOLING WAS ALSO IN QUESTION; WHICH WAS WHY WE RETURNED SO QUICKLY. AS A RESULT; WE HAD AN OVERWT LNDG OF ABOUT 1800 LBS. ATC VECTORED US FOR A VISUAL APCH TO RWY 35L. UPON SWITCHING TO TWR FREQ; ATC ANNOUNCED WINDSHEAR -- 10 KTS AND ANOTHER OF -20 KTS SHORT FINAL. WE ASKED ATC THE CONDITIONS OF RWY 35R AND TWR SAID NO WINDSHEAR RPTED RWY 35R. WE TOLD TWR IF WE COULD CHANGE TO RWY 35R SINCE THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US ON RWY 35L HAD EXECUTED A GAR DUE TO WINDSHEAR. TWR CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL TO RWY 35R. THE TWR CTLR THEN SAID 'IT APPEARS YOU ARE LINED UP FOR RWY 35R...YOU WERE CLRED FOR RWY 34R.' WE EXECUTED A ISSUED APCH AND INFORMED THE TWR WE WERE CONTINUING ON RWY HDG AND CLBING. THE TWR SEEMED TO BE TASK SATURATED WITH THE NUMBER OF GARS AND THE HANDLING OF ALL THE ACFT AND THE MULTIPLE WINDSHEAR AND MICROBURST ALERT ANNOUNCEMENTS. AFTER SOME CONFUSION WITH THE TWR; WE SWITCHED TO DEP CTL. WE ASKED ABOUT WIND CONDITIONS ON THE GND AND WE WERE INFORMED OF SEVERAL RWYS WITH WINDSHEAR AND MICROBURST ALERTS. APCH TOLD US THEN OF CALM WINDS ON RWY 7 ABD WE WERE THEN CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH AND LNDG ON RWY 7. I MADE THE LNDG WHICH WAS UNEVENTFUL AND CLRED THE RWY. WE TAXIED TO THE GATE. AFTER BLOCK-IN AT GATE; THE PAX DEPLANED; MECHS MET US IN THE COCKPIT AND WE DEBRIEFED THEM. THE CAPT CALLED DISPATCH AND THE DUTY MGR AND BRIEFED THEM AS WELL. THE CAPT ALSO CALLED MAINT CTL AND GAVE THEM THE 1) OVERWT LNDG RPT WITH A WT OF 143800 LBS; FLAP FULL NORMAL TOUCHDOWN; 2) RECEIVED ELECTRICAL DC BUSS SHEDDING UPON LIFTOFF WITH MULTIPLE FAULTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 700355 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR COULD NOT PROVIDE ANY INFO BEYOND THAT CONTAINED IN HIS RPT.

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.