An MD80 captain reported that the battery's circuit breaker popped causing him to divert to mem.

Attributes
ACN	605690
Time
Date	200312
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mem.airport
State Reference	TN
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zme.artcc tracon : mem.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level descent : intermediate altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	605690
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : circuit breaker other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to alternate
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During cruise, noticed that circuit breaker for battery charger had popped. Consulted onboard manuals and then contacted maintenance. We were advised to land at nearest suitable airport (that was mem). Maintenance was advised of our intentions to land at mem and asked to notify company operations at mem. We were unable to contact dispatch directly to inform about divert until we were on the ground. Dispatch was called immediately after landing and advised of divert. An ACARS divert message was sent during the approach to mem. No emergency authority/authorized was used and we did not declare an emergency with ATC. All other equipment on the airplane was functioning normally.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CAPT RPTED THAT THE BATTERY'S CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED CAUSING HIM TO DIVERT TO MEM.

Narrative: DURING CRUISE, NOTICED THAT CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR BATTERY CHARGER HAD POPPED. CONSULTED ONBOARD MANUALS AND THEN CONTACTED MAINT. WE WERE ADVISED TO LAND AT NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT (THAT WAS MEM). MAINT WAS ADVISED OF OUR INTENTIONS TO LAND AT MEM AND ASKED TO NOTIFY COMPANY OPS AT MEM. WE WERE UNABLE TO CONTACT DISPATCH DIRECTLY TO INFORM ABOUT DIVERT UNTIL WE WERE ON THE GND. DISPATCH WAS CALLED IMMEDIATELY AFTER LNDG AND ADVISED OF DIVERT. AN ACARS DIVERT MESSAGE WAS SENT DURING THE APCH TO MEM. NO EMER AUTH WAS USED AND WE DID NOT DECLARE AN EMER WITH ATC. ALL OTHER EQUIP ON THE AIRPLANE WAS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY.

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.