Narrative:

Upon arrival at aircraft; crew observed that ACARS was inoperative. Crew also noticed that both satcom's were inoperative. Crew attempted to link test ACARS on 5 attempts. ACARS would operate intermittently during each link test. Crew went into operations to conduct preflight duties of fpf and WX. Crew used 2 computers and many WX satellite databases to observe WX and thunderstorms on our route of flight. Some tops were reported at FL500. Captain had been briefed about the WX situation and fpf by dispatch as well. Crew advised maintenance to try and rectify the 2 issues. Maintenance advised that particular unique gate culminated with atmospheric conditions prevalent in the vicinity attributed to the satcom demise. Maintenance did pull circuit breakers and proceeded to open the electronic compartment cleaning all filters; etc; to no avail. Crew elected to take the advice of maintenance and depart with the hopes that satcom would operate normally when airborne. ACARS seemed to be now operating normally. Even after reaching FL320 satcom was still inoperative. In the interim there were many electrical glitches in the cabin as reported by the cabin staff. Initially we were unable to communication with forward galley flight attendants due to inoperative intercom. Flight attendants were communicating using another intercom; until the issue was rectified. All galley power was inoperative until approximately 15 mins of being airborne. Right side of aft cabin had reading lights flickering on and off. After carefully accessing the electrical problems with radios; intercom; cabin and WX; based on previous electrical problems on the B767 fleet; and numerous thunderstorms on our route; crew elected to go back to ZZZZ as it seemed to be the safest course of action. En route on our return journey to ZZZZ; the left pack over temperature light came on momentarily for no apparent reason and self extinguished; affirming the need to get the aircraft on the ground as soon as practicable. Captain advised dispatch and ATC requesting fire equipment stand by for our landing in ZZZZ on longest suitable runway. After dumping fuel from center tank while on the return position; we were going to weigh 340000 pounds putting us 20000 pounds over maximum landing weight. First officer was the PF and upon request of flaps 25 degrees; crew observed a flap disagreement light illuminate with flaps stuck at approximately 23 degrees. We were just about to complete the landing checklist with the gear down on final approach. Crew elected to do a missed approach to further evaluate the situation and follow SOP and checklists. After following checklist; crew elected to fly in a holding pattern in VMC; in order to burn an additional 20000 pounds of fuel; bringing the aircraft below maximum landing weight. We were extremely fortunate that the flaps were at 23 degrees and not stuck at flaps 1 degree. At this time captain declared an emergency with ATC and dispatch; due to multiple issues encountered on the aircraft. After aircraft weight was below 320000 pounds we broke away from the holding pattern still in VMC and received the approach for landing. First officer did a commendable job of flaring and landing the heavy aircraft with automatic brakes set at level 3 to obtain best stopping distance due to aircraft condition. Taxied to gate on 1 engine to prevent brake indication from exceeding 5 as 2 brakes were already at 5; 1 on left truck; and 1 on right truck -- both being the rear outboard brakes in each rear truck. Captain spoke with operations and proceeded to hotel for well-earned rest. I would like to commend ATC; dispatch; my entire crew; as well as our training center for the excellent job performed and the training we received.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767-300 DEVELOPED NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL ANOMALIES. WITH NUMEROUS TSTMS ALONG THEIR INTL ROUTE; FLT RETURNED TO THE DEP ARPT. A FLAP PROBLEM DEVELOPED ON THE APCH.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT ACFT; CREW OBSERVED THAT ACARS WAS INOP. CREW ALSO NOTICED THAT BOTH SATCOM'S WERE INOP. CREW ATTEMPTED TO LINK TEST ACARS ON 5 ATTEMPTS. ACARS WOULD OPERATE INTERMITTENTLY DURING EACH LINK TEST. CREW WENT INTO OPS TO CONDUCT PREFLT DUTIES OF FPF AND WX. CREW USED 2 COMPUTERS AND MANY WX SATELLITE DATABASES TO OBSERVE WX AND TSTMS ON OUR RTE OF FLT. SOME TOPS WERE RPTED AT FL500. CAPT HAD BEEN BRIEFED ABOUT THE WX SITUATION AND FPF BY DISPATCH AS WELL. CREW ADVISED MAINT TO TRY AND RECTIFY THE 2 ISSUES. MAINT ADVISED THAT PARTICULAR UNIQUE GATE CULMINATED WITH ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS PREVALENT IN THE VICINITY ATTRIBUTED TO THE SATCOM DEMISE. MAINT DID PULL CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND PROCEEDED TO OPEN THE ELECTRONIC COMPARTMENT CLEANING ALL FILTERS; ETC; TO NO AVAIL. CREW ELECTED TO TAKE THE ADVICE OF MAINT AND DEPART WITH THE HOPES THAT SATCOM WOULD OPERATE NORMALLY WHEN AIRBORNE. ACARS SEEMED TO BE NOW OPERATING NORMALLY. EVEN AFTER REACHING FL320 SATCOM WAS STILL INOP. IN THE INTERIM THERE WERE MANY ELECTRICAL GLITCHES IN THE CABIN AS RPTED BY THE CABIN STAFF. INITIALLY WE WERE UNABLE TO COM WITH FORWARD GALLEY FLT ATTENDANTS DUE TO INOP INTERCOM. FLT ATTENDANTS WERE COMMUNICATING USING ANOTHER INTERCOM; UNTIL THE ISSUE WAS RECTIFIED. ALL GALLEY PWR WAS INOP UNTIL APPROX 15 MINS OF BEING AIRBORNE. R SIDE OF AFT CABIN HAD READING LIGHTS FLICKERING ON AND OFF. AFTER CAREFULLY ACCESSING THE ELECTRICAL PROBS WITH RADIOS; INTERCOM; CABIN AND WX; BASED ON PREVIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBS ON THE B767 FLEET; AND NUMEROUS TSTMS ON OUR RTE; CREW ELECTED TO GO BACK TO ZZZZ AS IT SEEMED TO BE THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION. ENRTE ON OUR RETURN JOURNEY TO ZZZZ; THE L PACK OVER TEMP LIGHT CAME ON MOMENTARILY FOR NO APPARENT REASON AND SELF EXTINGUISHED; AFFIRMING THE NEED TO GET THE ACFT ON THE GND AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE. CAPT ADVISED DISPATCH AND ATC REQUESTING FIRE EQUIP STAND BY FOR OUR LNDG IN ZZZZ ON LONGEST SUITABLE RWY. AFTER DUMPING FUEL FROM CTR TANK WHILE ON THE RETURN POS; WE WERE GOING TO WEIGH 340000 LBS PUTTING US 20000 LBS OVER MAX LNDG WT. FO WAS THE PF AND UPON REQUEST OF FLAPS 25 DEGS; CREW OBSERVED A FLAP DISAGREEMENT LIGHT ILLUMINATE WITH FLAPS STUCK AT APPROX 23 DEGS. WE WERE JUST ABOUT TO COMPLETE THE LNDG CHKLIST WITH THE GEAR DOWN ON FINAL APCH. CREW ELECTED TO DO A MISSED APCH TO FURTHER EVALUATE THE SITUATION AND FOLLOW SOP AND CHKLISTS. AFTER FOLLOWING CHKLIST; CREW ELECTED TO FLY IN A HOLDING PATTERN IN VMC; IN ORDER TO BURN AN ADDITIONAL 20000 LBS OF FUEL; BRINGING THE ACFT BELOW MAX LNDG WT. WE WERE EXTREMELY FORTUNATE THAT THE FLAPS WERE AT 23 DEGS AND NOT STUCK AT FLAPS 1 DEG. AT THIS TIME CAPT DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC AND DISPATCH; DUE TO MULTIPLE ISSUES ENCOUNTERED ON THE ACFT. AFTER ACFT WT WAS BELOW 320000 LBS WE BROKE AWAY FROM THE HOLDING PATTERN STILL IN VMC AND RECEIVED THE APCH FOR LNDG. FO DID A COMMENDABLE JOB OF FLARING AND LNDG THE HVY ACFT WITH AUTO BRAKES SET AT LEVEL 3 TO OBTAIN BEST STOPPING DISTANCE DUE TO ACFT CONDITION. TAXIED TO GATE ON 1 ENG TO PREVENT BRAKE INDICATION FROM EXCEEDING 5 AS 2 BRAKES WERE ALREADY AT 5; 1 ON L TRUCK; AND 1 ON R TRUCK -- BOTH BEING THE REAR OUTBOARD BRAKES IN EACH REAR TRUCK. CAPT SPOKE WITH OPS AND PROCEEDED TO HOTEL FOR WELL-EARNED REST. I WOULD LIKE TO COMMEND ATC; DISPATCH; MY ENTIRE CREW; AS WELL AS OUR TRAINING CTR FOR THE EXCELLENT JOB PERFORMED AND THE TRAINING WE RECEIVED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.