Narrative:

While climbing on departure; we experienced low fuel pressure lights on the annunciator panel. We referenced the emergency/abnormal checklist and turned on the boost pump switches. There was no effect on the fuel low pressure lights; and subsequently we began to experience a progressive electrical failure and requested a return to departure airport and a descent. Shortly after commencing a turn back and beginning our descent; we experienced a complete loss of our communication/navigation equipment and switched the battery switch to the emergency position to regain partial communication and navigation capability. We referenced the appropriate checklists and accomplished a flaps up landing. Subsequent to the flight; it was discovered that the fuel low pressure lights had been inadvertently switched on the annunciator panel with the generator off lights and that we had been initially troubleshooting the wrong problem due to the swapped annunciator lights. Supplemental information from acn 781647: during preflight lights check; I found 2 switch capsules on the master warning panel not in the locked position. I tried to reset the capsules but they would not stay locked. I removed the capsules (generator off l-hand/right-hand) and (fuel low pressure l-hand/right-hand) to try and repair the source of the problem. I unknowingly reinstalled the capsules in the wrong position. I performed a light test upon completion and all lights functioned properly even though the locking mechanisms did not. By installing the capsules in the wrong position this gave the crew a false indication causing the aircraft to return back to base and cancel the scheduled trip for further investigation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CE56 RETURNS TO DEP ARPT WHEN IMPROPERLY WIRED WARNING LIGHTS GIVE FALSE INDICATION OF LOW FUEL PRESSURE. ACTUAL ISSUE WAS FAILURE TO ENGAGE AC GENERATORS.

Narrative: WHILE CLBING ON DEP; WE EXPERIENCED LOW FUEL PRESSURE LIGHTS ON THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL. WE REFED THE EMER/ABNORMAL CHKLIST AND TURNED ON THE BOOST PUMP SWITCHES. THERE WAS NO EFFECT ON THE FUEL LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS; AND SUBSEQUENTLY WE BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE A PROGRESSIVE ELECTRICAL FAILURE AND REQUESTED A RETURN TO DEP ARPT AND A DSCNT. SHORTLY AFTER COMMENCING A TURN BACK AND BEGINNING OUR DSCNT; WE EXPERIENCED A COMPLETE LOSS OF OUR COM/NAV EQUIP AND SWITCHED THE BATTERY SWITCH TO THE EMER POS TO REGAIN PARTIAL COM AND NAV CAPABILITY. WE REFED THE APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS AND ACCOMPLISHED A FLAPS UP LNDG. SUBSEQUENT TO THE FLT; IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FUEL LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS HAD BEEN INADVERTENTLY SWITCHED ON THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL WITH THE GENERATOR OFF LIGHTS AND THAT WE HAD BEEN INITIALLY TROUBLESHOOTING THE WRONG PROB DUE TO THE SWAPPED ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 781647: DURING PREFLT LIGHTS CHK; I FOUND 2 SWITCH CAPSULES ON THE MASTER WARNING PANEL NOT IN THE LOCKED POS. I TRIED TO RESET THE CAPSULES BUT THEY WOULD NOT STAY LOCKED. I REMOVED THE CAPSULES (GENERATOR OFF L-HAND/R-HAND) AND (FUEL LOW PRESSURE L-HAND/R-HAND) TO TRY AND REPAIR THE SOURCE OF THE PROB. I UNKNOWINGLY REINSTALLED THE CAPSULES IN THE WRONG POS. I PERFORMED A LIGHT TEST UPON COMPLETION AND ALL LIGHTS FUNCTIONED PROPERLY EVEN THOUGH THE LOCKING MECHANISMS DID NOT. BY INSTALLING THE CAPSULES IN THE WRONG POS THIS GAVE THE CREW A FALSE INDICATION CAUSING THE ACFT TO RETURN BACK TO BASE AND CANCEL THE SCHEDULED TRIP FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION.

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.