Narrative:

On may/xa/99, while operating flight ewr-clt, we experienced a loss of both generators. Due to the immediate failure of the autoplt and primary flight instrumentation, which froze in the position they were in at the time of the electrical loss, we were required to take control of the aircraft manually and operate using the standby instruments. The activity level on the flight deck intensified as we attempted to determine what the failure was (a dual IRS failure and a dual engine failure both appear the same on the forward instrument panel) while ensuring the safety of our passenger. We had departed runway 4R ewr and turned to a 060 degree heading, climbing to 2500 ft, and were proceeding via the ewr SID. We were then instructed by departure control to turn left to a 280 degree heading and to climb and maintain 10000 ft. At the time of the failure we were in a 30 degree left climbing turn out of 2500 ft for 10000 ft. The first officer was the PF and had the 'B' autoplt engaged. When the autoplt disengaged, the first officer manually took control of the aircraft, rolled wings level and proceeded straight ahead, while the co evaluated and reacted to the situation at hand. We were unable to adhere to the issued clearance to turn to the 280 degree heading while we evaluated the situation and ran our QRH checklist, although we did continue to climb. Our speed increased to 280 KTS. During the later stages of the event, ATC questioned us as to our heading. We advised him that we were still turning to 280 degrees and that we had had a problem. We had not declared an emergency, nor did we feel the need to do so as the problem had been rectified by that time. ATC then asked us to state the nature of our problem, at which time the co advised the controller of the loss of both generators. The QRH procedures were effective in restoring power to the aircraft and we continued on to our destination uneventfully. A logbook entry was made and maintenance responded. Human performance considerations: this event occurred at approximately AM58. We were in the middle of a continuous on duty (on duty all night, odan) trip. We had landed at ewr around XA00 and arrived at the hotel around XA30. We were only able to get about 3 1/2 hours of sleep prior to the incident. Minimum rest prior to the flight dictated that we maintain basic flying disciplines. This is why we immediately focused on flying the aircraft wings level, and ensuring that the aircraft was in no danger of becoming uncontrollable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 LOSES BOTH GENERATORS DURING A CLBING TURN N OF EWR AT ABOUT 3000 FT.

Narrative: ON MAY/XA/99, WHILE OPERATING FLT EWR-CLT, WE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF BOTH GENERATORS. DUE TO THE IMMEDIATE FAILURE OF THE AUTOPLT AND PRIMARY FLT INSTRUMENTATION, WHICH FROZE IN THE POS THEY WERE IN AT THE TIME OF THE ELECTRICAL LOSS, WE WERE REQUIRED TO TAKE CTL OF THE ACFT MANUALLY AND OPERATE USING THE STANDBY INSTS. THE ACTIVITY LEVEL ON THE FLT DECK INTENSIFIED AS WE ATTEMPTED TO DETERMINE WHAT THE FAILURE WAS (A DUAL IRS FAILURE AND A DUAL ENG FAILURE BOTH APPEAR THE SAME ON THE FORWARD INST PANEL) WHILE ENSURING THE SAFETY OF OUR PAX. WE HAD DEPARTED RWY 4R EWR AND TURNED TO A 060 DEG HDG, CLBING TO 2500 FT, AND WERE PROCEEDING VIA THE EWR SID. WE WERE THEN INSTRUCTED BY DEP CTL TO TURN L TO A 280 DEG HDG AND TO CLB AND MAINTAIN 10000 FT. AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE WE WERE IN A 30 DEG L CLBING TURN OUT OF 2500 FT FOR 10000 FT. THE FO WAS THE PF AND HAD THE 'B' AUTOPLT ENGAGED. WHEN THE AUTOPLT DISENGAGED, THE FO MANUALLY TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT, ROLLED WINGS LEVEL AND PROCEEDED STRAIGHT AHEAD, WHILE THE CO EVALUATED AND REACTED TO THE SIT AT HAND. WE WERE UNABLE TO ADHERE TO THE ISSUED CLRNC TO TURN TO THE 280 DEG HDG WHILE WE EVALUATED THE SIT AND RAN OUR QRH CHKLIST, ALTHOUGH WE DID CONTINUE TO CLB. OUR SPD INCREASED TO 280 KTS. DURING THE LATER STAGES OF THE EVENT, ATC QUESTIONED US AS TO OUR HDG. WE ADVISED HIM THAT WE WERE STILL TURNING TO 280 DEGS AND THAT WE HAD HAD A PROB. WE HAD NOT DECLARED AN EMER, NOR DID WE FEEL THE NEED TO DO SO AS THE PROB HAD BEEN RECTIFIED BY THAT TIME. ATC THEN ASKED US TO STATE THE NATURE OF OUR PROB, AT WHICH TIME THE CO ADVISED THE CTLR OF THE LOSS OF BOTH GENERATORS. THE QRH PROCS WERE EFFECTIVE IN RESTORING PWR TO THE ACFT AND WE CONTINUED ON TO OUR DEST UNEVENTFULLY. A LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS MADE AND MAINT RESPONDED. HUMAN PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS: THIS EVENT OCCURRED AT APPROX AM58. WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A CONTINUOUS ON DUTY (ON DUTY ALL NIGHT, ODAN) TRIP. WE HAD LANDED AT EWR AROUND XA00 AND ARRIVED AT THE HOTEL AROUND XA30. WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO GET ABOUT 3 1/2 HRS OF SLEEP PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT. MINIMUM REST PRIOR TO THE FLT DICTATED THAT WE MAINTAIN BASIC FLYING DISCIPLINES. THIS IS WHY WE IMMEDIATELY FOCUSED ON FLYING THE ACFT WINGS LEVEL, AND ENSURING THAT THE ACFT WAS IN NO DANGER OF BECOMING UNCTLABLE.

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.