<< >> NASA ASRS Report 359139, January 1997

B737-200 flight crew loses ability to diagnose aircraft's apparent primary standby electrical supply problem. There was no checklist that would fit the aircraft equipment problem. With partial electrical, PIC declares an emergency and performs a diversion to alternate.

Attributes
ACN	359139
Time
Date	199701
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : chs
State Reference	SC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 12000 msl bound upper : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zjx tower : sjc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise other other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 4000
ASRS Report	359139
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During cruise at FL330, we experienced what first appeared to be a complete loss of electricity in a B737- 200. I am a B737 flight instructor and some things that should be pwred through the standby system were not. And some things that should not be pwred, were. No abnormal checklist to fix this problem. This abnormal also prevented the APU from starting and lead to a loss of the normal pressurization. Using manual dc pressurization allowed us to keep the plane pressurized. Even though the generators showed good volts and frequencys, we were unable to connect them to most of the electrical buses. Most major items were inoperative.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-200 FLC LOSES ABILITY TO DIAGNOSE ACFT'S APPARENT PRIMARY STANDBY ELECTRICAL SUPPLY PROB. THERE WAS NO CHKLIST THAT WOULD FIT THE ACFT EQUIP PROB. WITH PARTIAL ELECTRICAL, PIC DECLARES AN EMER AND PERFORMS A DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE AT FL330, WE EXPERIENCED WHAT FIRST APPEARED TO BE A COMPLETE LOSS OF ELECTRICITY IN A B737- 200. I AM A B737 FLT INSTRUCTOR AND SOME THINGS THAT SHOULD BE PWRED THROUGH THE STANDBY SYS WERE NOT. AND SOME THINGS THAT SHOULD NOT BE PWRED, WERE. NO ABNORMAL CHKLIST TO FIX THIS PROB. THIS ABNORMAL ALSO PREVENTED THE APU FROM STARTING AND LEAD TO A LOSS OF THE NORMAL PRESSURIZATION. USING MANUAL DC PRESSURIZATION ALLOWED US TO KEEP THE PLANE PRESSURIZED. EVEN THOUGH THE GENERATORS SHOWED GOOD VOLTS AND FREQS, WE WERE UNABLE TO CONNECT THEM TO MOST OF THE ELECTRICAL BUSES. MOST MAJOR ITEMS WERE INOP.

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