Narrative:

After landing and during taxi-in; we had xferred electrical load from the #2 generator to the APU generator. After about another 30 seconds to 1 min; we shut down the #2 engine. Soon after that; we got numerous ECAM messages during some pretty impressive electrical shifting. We received messages saying that both AC bus #1 and #2 were faulted; along with numerous associated ECAM's. The AC busses came back on line quickly; and at about that time the first officer; who had been looking at the overhead panel; announced 'fire; engine #2.' we received no ECAM for fire; no master warning and no light on the center pedestal. He had seen the overhead light in the big button go red for a short time; then go off. I looked up at which he was pointing at and saw that the light had already extinguished. I was stopping the aircraft at that time. I set the brake and we watched and waited for a few seconds for any other indication of problems. A few seconds later; the electrical dance started again; dropping busses; relays shifting; and finally the APU generator faulted and went off line. This time there were no fire indications. I decided we didn't need to evacuate/evacuation at this time. Because I didn't feel it necessary to check out the off-road handling characteristics of the A319 in the event of total electrical failure resulting in nosewheel steering loss (yes; I know differential braking is still available on the accumulator); I had the first officer tell ground control that we needed a tow-in. I called the ramp tower and maintenance; then I told the passenger that we were having an electrical problem and that we would be towed from here. I had the first officer tell the flight attendants over the interphone that we are not evacing; but if we get another indication of fire or something as dire; we certainly would be. I called dispatch on the radio and had the flight operations put on line with us. I explained the situation and the flight operations agreed with our assessment that the fire indication was spurious in nature and likely related to the electrical problem. We left the #1 engine running; as it had the only generator supplying power to the aircraft; all the way until ground power was applied at the gate. Aircraft shutdown and parking checklists were completed normally with no anomalies noted.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: NUMEROUS ELECTRICAL ANOMALIES OCCURRED DURING TAXI IN AFTER ELECTRICAL PWR WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE APU ON AN A319.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG AND DURING TAXI-IN; WE HAD XFERRED ELECTRICAL LOAD FROM THE #2 GENERATOR TO THE APU GENERATOR. AFTER ABOUT ANOTHER 30 SECONDS TO 1 MIN; WE SHUT DOWN THE #2 ENG. SOON AFTER THAT; WE GOT NUMEROUS ECAM MESSAGES DURING SOME PRETTY IMPRESSIVE ELECTRICAL SHIFTING. WE RECEIVED MESSAGES SAYING THAT BOTH AC BUS #1 AND #2 WERE FAULTED; ALONG WITH NUMEROUS ASSOCIATED ECAM'S. THE AC BUSSES CAME BACK ON LINE QUICKLY; AND AT ABOUT THAT TIME THE FO; WHO HAD BEEN LOOKING AT THE OVERHEAD PANEL; ANNOUNCED 'FIRE; ENG #2.' WE RECEIVED NO ECAM FOR FIRE; NO MASTER WARNING AND NO LIGHT ON THE CENTER PEDESTAL. HE HAD SEEN THE OVERHEAD LIGHT IN THE BIG BUTTON GO RED FOR A SHORT TIME; THEN GO OFF. I LOOKED UP AT WHICH HE WAS POINTING AT AND SAW THAT THE LIGHT HAD ALREADY EXTINGUISHED. I WAS STOPPING THE ACFT AT THAT TIME. I SET THE BRAKE AND WE WATCHED AND WAITED FOR A FEW SECONDS FOR ANY OTHER INDICATION OF PROBS. A FEW SECONDS LATER; THE ELECTRICAL DANCE STARTED AGAIN; DROPPING BUSSES; RELAYS SHIFTING; AND FINALLY THE APU GENERATOR FAULTED AND WENT OFF LINE. THIS TIME THERE WERE NO FIRE INDICATIONS. I DECIDED WE DIDN'T NEED TO EVAC AT THIS TIME. BECAUSE I DIDN'T FEEL IT NECESSARY TO CHK OUT THE OFF-ROAD HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS OF THE A319 IN THE EVENT OF TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE RESULTING IN NOSEWHEEL STEERING LOSS (YES; I KNOW DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING IS STILL AVAILABLE ON THE ACCUMULATOR); I HAD THE FO TELL GND CTL THAT WE NEEDED A TOW-IN. I CALLED THE RAMP TWR AND MAINT; THEN I TOLD THE PAX THAT WE WERE HAVING AN ELECTRICAL PROB AND THAT WE WOULD BE TOWED FROM HERE. I HAD THE FO TELL THE FLT ATTENDANTS OVER THE INTERPHONE THAT WE ARE NOT EVACING; BUT IF WE GET ANOTHER INDICATION OF FIRE OR SOMETHING AS DIRE; WE CERTAINLY WOULD BE. I CALLED DISPATCH ON THE RADIO AND HAD THE FLT OPS PUT ON LINE WITH US. I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION AND THE FLT OPS AGREED WITH OUR ASSESSMENT THAT THE FIRE INDICATION WAS SPURIOUS IN NATURE AND LIKELY RELATED TO THE ELECTRICAL PROB. WE LEFT THE #1 ENG RUNNING; AS IT HAD THE ONLY GENERATOR SUPPLYING PWR TO THE ACFT; ALL THE WAY UNTIL GND PWR WAS APPLIED AT THE GATE. ACFT SHUTDOWN AND PARKING CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED NORMALLY WITH NO ANOMALIES NOTED.

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.