Narrative:

I was the captain of air carrier flight. Departed mem. Climbing through approximately 13000 ft, we heard a 'pop' and the first officer's instrument panel went blank for about 2-3 seconds, then returned to normal. About 4-5 seconds later, the r-hand ECAM indicated a dc electrical advisory. The thrust reverser #2 indicated 30 volts and 0 amps. There is no company procedure for this situation. Approximately 5 seconds later, we smelled burning electrical fumes. Went on oxygen, declared an emergency for return to memphis, and accomplished checklists in accordance with company policy and procedure. The 250 KT speed limitation was surpassed due to the emergency. Upon landing, ZME, in coordination with the company, cleared us to parking. Maintenance write-ups were completed in accordance with company policy and procedure. Company flight safety personnel interrupted us as we were attempting to complete our duties. While completing the maintenance logbook, we were given a new flight release and told that the airplane next door would be ready soon. An individual behind the main desk subsequently told us our airplane was ready and I needed to call the duty officer. The duty officer wanted to know when we were going to the airplane. I told him what happened and that the first officer and myself had a sore throat, stuffy nose and a little tightness in the chest and would like to go to the hospital to get checked out. He said he would call the emt's and get a reserve crew to take the flight. Overall recommendations: 1) the crew be permitted to finish their duties and get appropriate medical attention as required, without being interrupted by company flight safety personnel. 2) the airplane was equipped with the old style oxygen masks and goggles. The mask covers the entire nose and my glasses do not fit correctly, making it difficult to see. I had my arms and head at all angles trying to focus on the little print on the approach charts. I strongly recommend that all aircraft be outfitted with the full-face oxygen mask as soon as possible. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the PIC further stated that the position of the smoke mask hampered their attempt to don it. The A300 masks are located by the pilot's knee but the 310's masks are on the side behind the pilot, making it difficult to obtain. The thrust reverser had 'fried itself' after a maintenance review. The maintenance person said that 'there was nothing you could do' in these cases and that is why there was not a checklist procedure outlining steps for a problematic transformer rectifier. Reference may be made to this anomaly within the miscellaneous section of 'cautions' in the flight handbook. The person interrupting maintenance debrief and the PIC was a new safety person that was on his first assignment and was acting in an over-eager way. He placed himself between the 2 subject persons and asked 'so what happened?' the captain asked him to leave her aircraft, summarily dismissing him. The reporter passed the safety information along to the company and, at last contact, was told that 'they are working on the problem of the mask design.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A310 CARGO FLT PIC RPT ON A RETURN LAND WITH A MALFUNCTIONING THRUST REVERSER #2 PRODUCING SMOKE. THERE WAS NO CHKLIST PROC TO DEAL WITH THIS SIT AND THE CREW WAS HAMPERED VISUALLY BY ILL FITTING SMOKE GOGGLES DURING THEIR RETURN TO MEM, TN.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT OF ACR FLT. DEPARTED MEM. CLBING THROUGH APPROX 13000 FT, WE HEARD A 'POP' AND THE FO'S INST PANEL WENT BLANK FOR ABOUT 2-3 SECONDS, THEN RETURNED TO NORMAL. ABOUT 4-5 SECONDS LATER, THE R-HAND ECAM INDICATED A DC ELECTRICAL ADVISORY. THE THRUST REVERSER #2 INDICATED 30 VOLTS AND 0 AMPS. THERE IS NO COMPANY PROC FOR THIS SIT. APPROX 5 SECONDS LATER, WE SMELLED BURNING ELECTRICAL FUMES. WENT ON OXYGEN, DECLARED AN EMER FOR RETURN TO MEMPHIS, AND ACCOMPLISHED CHKLISTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY POLICY AND PROC. THE 250 KT SPD LIMITATION WAS SURPASSED DUE TO THE EMER. UPON LNDG, ZME, IN COORD WITH THE COMPANY, CLRED US TO PARKING. MAINT WRITE-UPS WERE COMPLETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH COMPANY POLICY AND PROC. COMPANY FLT SAFETY PERSONNEL INTERRUPTED US AS WE WERE ATTEMPTING TO COMPLETE OUR DUTIES. WHILE COMPLETING THE MAINT LOGBOOK, WE WERE GIVEN A NEW FLT RELEASE AND TOLD THAT THE AIRPLANE NEXT DOOR WOULD BE READY SOON. AN INDIVIDUAL BEHIND THE MAIN DESK SUBSEQUENTLY TOLD US OUR AIRPLANE WAS READY AND I NEEDED TO CALL THE DUTY OFFICER. THE DUTY OFFICER WANTED TO KNOW WHEN WE WERE GOING TO THE AIRPLANE. I TOLD HIM WHAT HAPPENED AND THAT THE FO AND MYSELF HAD A SORE THROAT, STUFFY NOSE AND A LITTLE TIGHTNESS IN THE CHEST AND WOULD LIKE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL TO GET CHKED OUT. HE SAID HE WOULD CALL THE EMT'S AND GET A RESERVE CREW TO TAKE THE FLT. OVERALL RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) THE CREW BE PERMITTED TO FINISH THEIR DUTIES AND GET APPROPRIATE MEDICAL ATTN AS REQUIRED, WITHOUT BEING INTERRUPTED BY COMPANY FLT SAFETY PERSONNEL. 2) THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH THE OLD STYLE OXYGEN MASKS AND GOGGLES. THE MASK COVERS THE ENTIRE NOSE AND MY GLASSES DO NOT FIT CORRECTLY, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE. I HAD MY ARMS AND HEAD AT ALL ANGLES TRYING TO FOCUS ON THE LITTLE PRINT ON THE APCH CHARTS. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT ALL ACFT BE OUTFITTED WITH THE FULL-FACE OXYGEN MASK ASAP. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PIC FURTHER STATED THAT THE POS OF THE SMOKE MASK HAMPERED THEIR ATTEMPT TO DON IT. THE A300 MASKS ARE LOCATED BY THE PLT'S KNEE BUT THE 310'S MASKS ARE ON THE SIDE BEHIND THE PLT, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN. THE THRUST REVERSER HAD 'FRIED ITSELF' AFTER A MAINT REVIEW. THE MAINT PERSON SAID THAT 'THERE WAS NOTHING YOU COULD DO' IN THESE CASES AND THAT IS WHY THERE WAS NOT A CHKLIST PROC OUTLINING STEPS FOR A PROBLEMATIC TRANSFORMER RECTIFIER. REF MAY BE MADE TO THIS ANOMALY WITHIN THE MISCELLANEOUS SECTION OF 'CAUTIONS' IN THE FLT HANDBOOK. THE PERSON INTERRUPTING MAINT DEBRIEF AND THE PIC WAS A NEW SAFETY PERSON THAT WAS ON HIS FIRST ASSIGNMENT AND WAS ACTING IN AN OVER-EAGER WAY. HE PLACED HIMSELF BTWN THE 2 SUBJECT PERSONS AND ASKED 'SO WHAT HAPPENED?' THE CAPT ASKED HIM TO LEAVE HER ACFT, SUMMARILY DISMISSING HIM. THE RPTR PASSED THE SAFETY INFO ALONG TO THE COMPANY AND, AT LAST CONTACT, WAS TOLD THAT 'THEY ARE WORKING ON THE PROB OF THE MASK DESIGN.

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.