B737-200 crew had multiple and chronic total AC electrical failure, at night.

Attributes
ACN	603392
Time
Date	200312
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ric.airport
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl single value : 4000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pct.tracon tower : pln.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : visual
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 60 flight time total : 10050 flight time type : 17
ASRS Report	603392
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : loss of ac lighting other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other Other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : fault isolation performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Flight abcd, atl-ric, 97 passenger and 5 crew members aboard. VMC at night. Radar vectors for the visual approach runway 2 at ric. Descending through approximately 4000 ft MSL, approximately 15 NM ssw of the airport. The aircraft went dark -- no cockpit or cabin lighting. The standby attitude indicator and standby altimeter/airspeed indicator were operable and illuminated. Master caution lights and autoplt disc lights were illuminated. I am aware of no other lights. The conditions lasted 20-30 seconds, then everything returned to normal. The APU was started and an emergency was declared. We requested a runway change to runway 34 due to increased runway length. About a min after the first event, a partial electrical failure occurred, accompanied by a left generator bus light. A reset of the generator was attempted in accordance with QRH procedures. This resulted in another total electrical failure -- which lasted 10-15 seconds after the APU came on line and picked up the left generator bus. A normal landing, rollout, taxi in followed. Emergency equipment followed the aircraft to the gate. The aircraft had a history of left generator problems. Thorough discussions with maintenance and a thorough logbook entry resulted in the aircraft being pulled from service. A maintenance crew was dispatched to ric the following day.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-200 CREW HAD MULTIPLE AND CHRONIC TOTAL AC ELECTRICAL FAILURE, AT NIGHT.

Narrative: FLT ABCD, ATL-RIC, 97 PAX AND 5 CREW MEMBERS ABOARD. VMC AT NIGHT. RADAR VECTORS FOR THE VISUAL APCH RWY 2 AT RIC. DSNDING THROUGH APPROX 4000 FT MSL, APPROX 15 NM SSW OF THE ARPT. THE ACFT WENT DARK -- NO COCKPIT OR CABIN LIGHTING. THE STANDBY ATTITUDE INDICATOR AND STANDBY ALTIMETER/AIRSPD INDICATOR WERE OPERABLE AND ILLUMINATED. MASTER CAUTION LIGHTS AND AUTOPLT DISC LIGHTS WERE ILLUMINATED. I AM AWARE OF NO OTHER LIGHTS. THE CONDITIONS LASTED 20-30 SECONDS, THEN EVERYTHING RETURNED TO NORMAL. THE APU WAS STARTED AND AN EMER WAS DECLARED. WE REQUESTED A RWY CHANGE TO RWY 34 DUE TO INCREASED RWY LENGTH. ABOUT A MIN AFTER THE FIRST EVENT, A PARTIAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE OCCURRED, ACCOMPANIED BY A L GENERATOR BUS LIGHT. A RESET OF THE GENERATOR WAS ATTEMPTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH QRH PROCS. THIS RESULTED IN ANOTHER TOTAL ELECTRICAL FAILURE -- WHICH LASTED 10-15 SECONDS AFTER THE APU CAME ON LINE AND PICKED UP THE L GENERATOR BUS. A NORMAL LNDG, ROLLOUT, TAXI IN FOLLOWED. EMER EQUIP FOLLOWED THE ACFT TO THE GATE. THE ACFT HAD A HISTORY OF L GENERATOR PROBS. THOROUGH DISCUSSIONS WITH MAINT AND A THOROUGH LOGBOOK ENTRY RESULTED IN THE ACFT BEING PULLED FROM SVC. A MAINT CREW WAS DISPATCHED TO RIC THE FOLLOWING DAY.

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.