Narrative:

While operating an medium large transport on scheduled service from ewr to ind climbing through FL340 to FL350, all flight instrument flags appeared for 2-3 seconds, then disappeared. Shortly after this, 60-90 seconds, an F/a entered the cockpit and advised us she had reset a circuit breaker for the coffee maker in the aft galley. There was a pop and smell of smoke and the cbs popped. She had done this in about the same time frame as the instrument flags appeared. She also advised all cabin lights blinked. The captain turned off the galley power and advised me to proceed aft to inspect the galley. There appeared to be no further problem and the smell had dissipated. I returned to the cockpit and advised the captain. He then proceeded aft to inspect. Upon the captain's return we discussed the problem, especially the instrument flags, and decided to divert to pit. The remainder of the flight proceeded uneventfully. The major question in both of our minds was how could a short in the coffee maker affect the flight instruments and lighting. During this entire episode both generators remained on line and output appeared normal. We have not yet received an answer to this. Supplemental information from acn 83579: company maintenance has since told me that coffee maker cannon plug was full of water and gunk upon disassembly. Nobody including FAA/pmi can explain why cockpit gauges flagged. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter had discussed incident with captain and maintenance and no explanation could be given as to why the instrument failure light came on for such a short period. Maintenance speculates it was related to the galley problem, possibly a momentary overload. Aircraft was put back in service the next day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MOMENTARY LOSS OF ALL FLT INSTRUMENTS ACCOUNT ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION.

Narrative: WHILE OPERATING AN MLG ON SCHEDULED SVC FROM EWR TO IND CLBING THROUGH FL340 TO FL350, ALL FLT INSTRUMENT FLAGS APPEARED FOR 2-3 SECS, THEN DISAPPEARED. SHORTLY AFTER THIS, 60-90 SECS, AN F/A ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND ADVISED US SHE HAD RESET A CB FOR THE COFFEE MAKER IN THE AFT GALLEY. THERE WAS A POP AND SMELL OF SMOKE AND THE CBS POPPED. SHE HAD DONE THIS IN ABOUT THE SAME TIME FRAME AS THE INSTRUMENT FLAGS APPEARED. SHE ALSO ADVISED ALL CABIN LIGHTS BLINKED. THE CAPT TURNED OFF THE GALLEY PWR AND ADVISED ME TO PROCEED AFT TO INSPECT THE GALLEY. THERE APPEARED TO BE NO FURTHER PROB AND THE SMELL HAD DISSIPATED. I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND ADVISED THE CAPT. HE THEN PROCEEDED AFT TO INSPECT. UPON THE CAPT'S RETURN WE DISCUSSED THE PROB, ESPECIALLY THE INSTRUMENT FLAGS, AND DECIDED TO DIVERT TO PIT. THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY. THE MAJOR QUESTION IN BOTH OF OUR MINDS WAS HOW COULD A SHORT IN THE COFFEE MAKER AFFECT THE FLT INSTRUMENTS AND LIGHTING. DURING THIS ENTIRE EPISODE BOTH GENERATORS REMAINED ON LINE AND OUTPUT APPEARED NORMAL. WE HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED AN ANSWER TO THIS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 83579: COMPANY MAINT HAS SINCE TOLD ME THAT COFFEE MAKER CANNON PLUG WAS FULL OF WATER AND GUNK UPON DISASSEMBLY. NOBODY INCLUDING FAA/PMI CAN EXPLAIN WHY COCKPIT GAUGES FLAGGED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR HAD DISCUSSED INCIDENT WITH CAPT AND MAINT AND NO EXPLANATION COULD BE GIVEN AS TO WHY THE INSTRUMENT FAILURE LIGHT CAME ON FOR SUCH A SHORT PERIOD. MAINT SPECULATES IT WAS RELATED TO THE GALLEY PROB, POSSIBLY A MOMENTARY OVERLOAD. ACFT WAS PUT BACK IN SVC THE NEXT DAY.

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.