Narrative:

While operating aus certified air carrier flight as captain from abq to dfw, abnormal electrical conditions were experienced. The aircraft, an medium large transport, was dispatched with #2 engine driven gen inoperative. During climb the APU gen dropped off line. Volts and frequencys on APU gen were within limits but it would not take line and power bus. Returned to abq with only #1 engine driven gen pwring electrical system. There was concern for the possibility of electrical fire since the APU gen was apparently operating normally, but would not take and power bus. Received expeditious routing back to abq and therefore did not declare emergency. Landed abq west/O incident. Ground personnel notified flight crew of odor of electrical smoke in #1 cargo bin. Aircraft repaired and returned to service. Recommend 2 engine air carrier aircraft be prohibited from operating on more than 1 flight segment with an engine driven gen inoperative. Further, that segment must be to an FAA approved maintenance facility for the sole purpose of gen repair. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter had followed up on the aircraft and found that the reason the APU gen could not be put on line was because the control panel for the APU in the east&east compartment had shorted out and melted down and this was what caused the odor of burning electrical. While reporter would like to see stricter limits pu on time aircraft could operate with engine driven gen, he realized that part of the problem right now in maintenance not being accomplished as timely as it should is because of the airlines beg expansion and the problem with getting enough qualified mechanics and the further fact that a lot of current mechanics are hitting retirement age and leaving a lack of higher qualified mechanics available.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG OPERATING WITH ONE ENGINE DRIVEN GENERATOR INOPERATIVE HAD ELECTRICAL FAULT IN APU GENERATOR AND WAS UNABLE TO KEEP IT ON LINE. WITH ONE GENERATOR LEFT ELECTED A PRECAUTIONARY LNDG.

Narrative: WHILE OPERATING AUS CERTIFIED ACR FLT AS CAPT FROM ABQ TO DFW, ABNORMAL ELECTRICAL CONDITIONS WERE EXPERIENCED. THE ACFT, AN MLG, WAS DISPATCHED WITH #2 ENG DRIVEN GEN INOP. DURING CLB THE APU GEN DROPPED OFF LINE. VOLTS AND FREQS ON APU GEN WERE WITHIN LIMITS BUT IT WOULD NOT TAKE LINE AND PWR BUS. RETURNED TO ABQ WITH ONLY #1 ENG DRIVEN GEN PWRING ELECTRICAL SYS. THERE WAS CONCERN FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF ELECTRICAL FIRE SINCE THE APU GEN WAS APPARENTLY OPERATING NORMALLY, BUT WOULD NOT TAKE AND PWR BUS. RECEIVED EXPEDITIOUS ROUTING BACK TO ABQ AND THEREFORE DID NOT DECLARE EMER. LANDED ABQ W/O INCIDENT. GND PERSONNEL NOTIFIED FLT CREW OF ODOR OF ELECTRICAL SMOKE IN #1 CARGO BIN. ACFT REPAIRED AND RETURNED TO SVC. RECOMMEND 2 ENG ACR ACFT BE PROHIBITED FROM OPERATING ON MORE THAN 1 FLT SEGMENT WITH AN ENG DRIVEN GEN INOP. FURTHER, THAT SEGMENT MUST BE TO AN FAA APPROVED MAINT FAC FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF GEN REPAIR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR HAD FOLLOWED UP ON THE ACFT AND FOUND THAT THE REASON THE APU GEN COULD NOT BE PUT ON LINE WAS BECAUSE THE CTL PANEL FOR THE APU IN THE E&E COMPARTMENT HAD SHORTED OUT AND MELTED DOWN AND THIS WAS WHAT CAUSED THE ODOR OF BURNING ELECTRICAL. WHILE RPTR WOULD LIKE TO SEE STRICTER LIMITS PU ON TIME ACFT COULD OPERATE WITH ENG DRIVEN GEN, HE REALIZED THAT PART OF THE PROB RIGHT NOW IN MAINT NOT BEING ACCOMPLISHED AS TIMELY AS IT SHOULD IS BECAUSE OF THE AIRLINES BEG EXPANSION AND THE PROBLEM WITH GETTING ENOUGH QUALIFIED MECHANICS AND THE FURTHER FACT THAT A LOT OF CURRENT MECHANICS ARE HITTING RETIREMENT AGE AND LEAVING A LACK OF HIGHER QUALIFIED MECHANICS AVAILABLE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.