An MD80 on climb out after takeoff declared an emergency due to inability to power the left AC bus w...

Attributes
ACN	383566
Time
Date	199710
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : clt
State Reference	NC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 10000 msl bound upper : 10000
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : clt
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	climbout : initial other other
Route In Use	departure other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 50
ASRS Report	383566
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Multiple electrical failure: passing through 10000 ft MSL, the left generator tripped off line. The left AC bus off and left generator light illuminated. I ran the abnormal generator failure checklist. I started the APU with a normal start taking place. However, the APU generator showed no volts and no frequencys. The generator switch was reset with still no volts and frequencys. Now the dc bus off light illuminated with the autoplt and autothrottles shutting off. The captain's ADI rolled and various other caution lights illuminated. The APU was then shut down with the APU fire switch. The electrical system returned to a normal single generator operation. The autoplt and autothrottles were then re-engaged. An emergency was declared and we returned to clt because of the single generator operation. The landing was uneventful except it was an overweight landing. A logbook write-up was made because of the overweight landing. After parking maintenance found that both the #1 and #3 gcu's had tripped in the east&east compartment. As far as why they both tripped during the same flight/time we have no idea. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that after the APU was started and the APU generator failed to power the left bus it was immediately shut down and only then did the right generator power the left bus. The reporter said the left bus dc power was also lost with no transfer to battery power. The reporter stated when on the ground a mechanic reset the #1 generator control unit and the APU control unit and was going to sign off the report and dispatch the trip. The reporter said the captain and the reporter were not satisfied with this maintenance action due to the multiple electrical problems and loss of dc power and requested a plane change. The reporter also stated that no details were available from maintenance as to the final fix.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 ON CLBOUT AFTER TKOF DECLARED AN EMER DUE TO INABILITY TO PWR THE L AC BUS WITH THE L GENERATOR OR THE APU GENERATOR. PWR TRANSFERRED FROM THE R BUS AFTER THE APU WAS SHUT DOWN.

Narrative: MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL FAILURE: PASSING THROUGH 10000 FT MSL, THE L GENERATOR TRIPPED OFF LINE. THE L AC BUS OFF AND L GENERATOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. I RAN THE ABNORMAL GENERATOR FAILURE CHKLIST. I STARTED THE APU WITH A NORMAL START TAKING PLACE. HOWEVER, THE APU GENERATOR SHOWED NO VOLTS AND NO FREQS. THE GENERATOR SWITCH WAS RESET WITH STILL NO VOLTS AND FREQS. NOW THE DC BUS OFF LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH THE AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHROTTLES SHUTTING OFF. THE CAPT'S ADI ROLLED AND VARIOUS OTHER CAUTION LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE APU WAS THEN SHUT DOWN WITH THE APU FIRE SWITCH. THE ELECTRICAL SYS RETURNED TO A NORMAL SINGLE GENERATOR OP. THE AUTOPLT AND AUTOTHROTTLES WERE THEN RE-ENGAGED. AN EMER WAS DECLARED AND WE RETURNED TO CLT BECAUSE OF THE SINGLE GENERATOR OP. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL EXCEPT IT WAS AN OVERWT LNDG. A LOGBOOK WRITE-UP WAS MADE BECAUSE OF THE OVERWT LNDG. AFTER PARKING MAINT FOUND THAT BOTH THE #1 AND #3 GCU'S HAD TRIPPED IN THE E&E COMPARTMENT. AS FAR AS WHY THEY BOTH TRIPPED DURING THE SAME FLT/TIME WE HAVE NO IDEA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT AFTER THE APU WAS STARTED AND THE APU GENERATOR FAILED TO PWR THE L BUS IT WAS IMMEDIATELY SHUT DOWN AND ONLY THEN DID THE R GENERATOR PWR THE L BUS. THE RPTR SAID THE L BUS DC PWR WAS ALSO LOST WITH NO TRANSFER TO BATTERY PWR. THE RPTR STATED WHEN ON THE GND A MECH RESET THE #1 GENERATOR CTL UNIT AND THE APU CTL UNIT AND WAS GOING TO SIGN OFF THE RPT AND DISPATCH THE TRIP. THE RPTR SAID THE CAPT AND THE RPTR WERE NOT SATISFIED WITH THIS MAINT ACTION DUE TO THE MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL PROBS AND LOSS OF DC PWR AND REQUESTED A PLANE CHANGE. THE RPTR ALSO STATED THAT NO DETAILS WERE AVAILABLE FROM MAINT AS TO THE FINAL FIX.

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.

An MD80 on climb out after takeoff declared an emergency due to inability to power the left AC bus with the left generator or the APU generator. Power transferred from the right bus after the APU was shut down.