Narrative:

We were descending into ZZZ at night with scattered clouds and good visibility. About 75 miles out and approximately FL200 the entire cockpit went dark with the exception of the first officer's pfd; nd and the lower ECAM. At first we had no clue as to what had failed. I pressed and pressed and held every button on the ECAM and could not get the display to change. It appeared to be frozen. The first officer continued to fly while I got out my flashlight and started searching the QRH. At first we suspected complete electrical failure; but the displays were backwards -- the captain's displays should have been on and everything else dark -- so we were pretty sure that wasn't it. We even considered dual engine failure; but quickly realized that was not the problem either. We also were unable to communicate with ATC or the flight attendants. Eventually I went back to the ECAM and at some point I pressed a button and it unfroze. After that things started to get better. The first fault to come up on the ECAM was AC ess bus fault. The ECAM led me through the AC ess bus fault procedure and once altitude ess feed was selected we started to get lights; communication and navigation equipment back. The transponder started working again and we were able to talk to center and the flight attendants. Eventually the ECAM led me through the AC bus 1 fault procedure and we got quite a lot of our equipment back. We called center back; told them what had happened; declared an emergency and proceeded to the airport. While the first officer did the flying and communicating with ATC I continued to go through the ECAM; started the APU; contacted ZZZ operations and communicated with the flight attendants and the passengers. We elected to take radar vectors to a visual approach. The first officer flew the approach; landed and stopped the airplane on the runway. I was able to clear the runway using differential braking and because taxiway is a straight shot to the ramp; proceeded to the inner taxiway where we were met by the ground crew and towed to the gate. After parking I contacted dispatch and wrote the malfunction up in the aircraft log. By the way; I realize all the above failures are due to the electrical problem.supplemental information from acn 785503: the aircraft appeared to be in direct law and the #1 engine; if still running; was not producing significant thrust. The captain and I had no clue as to what had failed. Eventually captain went back to the lower ECAM and at some point it unfroze. The first fault to come up on the ECAM was AC ess bus fault. The ECAM led captain through the AC ess bus fault procedure and once altitude ess feed was selected we started to get some lights; communication and navigation equipment. Also; the plane went to alternate or better law and the #1 engine began to produce a semi-normal thrust in some sort of degraded mode since there was still no engine #1 parameters displayed on the upper ECAM which had also now come back. The transponder started working again and we were able to talk to center and the flight attendants. Lower ECAM remained frozen for what felt like an eternity (maybe 3 to 5 minutes) before it un-froze and told us to select the alternate essential bus feed button. We had very little working up to that point. Why was the lower ECAM frozen for so long? The QRH was no help. In the dark it would have been hard; on our own; to know to hit the altitude ess bus feed button. Perhaps the pilots should be educated on this option.callback conversation with reporter acn 785503 revealed the following information: as the PF this reporter had his hands full. The number one engine seemed to be stuck at idle thrust even though automatic thrust had failed and both thrust levers were in the climb detent. This produced asymmetric thrust as the aircraft was leveled off; which was compounded by flight control computer failures. The nd was apparently frozen and the pfd showed attitude; altitude; and airspeed; with the other parameters showing xx's. Pressure changes were felt in the ears and the flight crew donned their oxygen masksas a precaution; until reaching a lower altitude. When the captain pressed the ess feed push button; thrust was restored on the number one engine and the nd unfroze. The landing at destination was nearly routine with the absence of nosewheel steering and a tow to the gate.callback conversation with reporter acn 785337 revealed the following information: after numerous pressings of various ECAM buttons; the display unfroze and indicated the ess bus feed push button should be pushed. This restored essential power and also allowed the left engine to come out of idle. Power to AC 1 and dc 1 was apparently never restored even though the APU was brought on the line. Maintenance apparently changed the number 1 idg and replaced some generator line contactors to restore the electrical system to normal operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 FLT CREW REPORTS VARIOUS ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ANOMALIES DURING DESCENT WITH INABILITY TO TRANSFER TO ALTERNATE POWER SOURCES.

Narrative: WE WERE DESCENDING INTO ZZZ AT NIGHT WITH SCATTERED CLOUDS AND GOOD VISIBILITY. ABOUT 75 MILES OUT AND APPROXIMATELY FL200 THE ENTIRE COCKPIT WENT DARK WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FO'S PFD; ND AND THE LOWER ECAM. AT FIRST WE HAD NO CLUE AS TO WHAT HAD FAILED. I PRESSED AND PRESSED AND HELD EVERY BUTTON ON THE ECAM AND COULD NOT GET THE DISPLAY TO CHANGE. IT APPEARED TO BE FROZEN. THE FO CONTINUED TO FLY WHILE I GOT OUT MY FLASHLIGHT AND STARTED SEARCHING THE QRH. AT FIRST WE SUSPECTED COMPLETE ELECTRICAL FAILURE; BUT THE DISPLAYS WERE BACKWARDS -- THE CAPTAIN'S DISPLAYS SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON AND EVERYTHING ELSE DARK -- SO WE WERE PRETTY SURE THAT WASN'T IT. WE EVEN CONSIDERED DUAL ENGINE FAILURE; BUT QUICKLY REALIZED THAT WAS NOT THE PROBLEM EITHER. WE ALSO WERE UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ATC OR THE FLT ATTENDANTS. EVENTUALLY I WENT BACK TO THE ECAM AND AT SOME POINT I PRESSED A BUTTON AND IT UNFROZE. AFTER THAT THINGS STARTED TO GET BETTER. THE FIRST FAULT TO COME UP ON THE ECAM WAS AC ESS BUS FAULT. THE ECAM LED ME THROUGH THE AC ESS BUS FAULT PROCEDURE AND ONCE ALT ESS FEED WAS SELECTED WE STARTED TO GET LIGHTS; COMMUNICATION AND NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT BACK. THE TRANSPONDER STARTED WORKING AGAIN AND WE WERE ABLE TO TALK TO CENTER AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS. EVENTUALLY THE ECAM LED ME THROUGH THE AC BUS 1 FAULT PROCEDURE AND WE GOT QUITE A LOT OF OUR EQUIPMENT BACK. WE CALLED CENTER BACK; TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED; DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND PROCEEDED TO THE AIRPORT. WHILE THE FO DID THE FLYING AND COMMUNICATING WITH ATC I CONTINUED TO GO THROUGH THE ECAM; STARTED THE APU; CONTACTED ZZZ OPS AND COMMUNICATED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND THE PASSENGERS. WE ELECTED TO TAKE RADAR VECTORS TO A VISUAL APPROACH. THE FO FLEW THE APPROACH; LANDED AND STOPPED THE AIRPLANE ON THE RUNWAY. I WAS ABLE TO CLEAR THE RUNWAY USING DIFFERENTIAL BRAKING AND BECAUSE TAXIWAY IS A STRAIGHT SHOT TO THE RAMP; PROCEEDED TO THE INNER TAXIWAY WHERE WE WERE MET BY THE GROUND CREW AND TOWED TO THE GATE. AFTER PARKING I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND WROTE THE MALFUNCTION UP IN THE ACFT LOG. BY THE WAY; I REALIZE ALL THE ABOVE FAILURES ARE DUE TO THE ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 785503: THE AIRCRAFT APPEARED TO BE IN DIRECT LAW AND THE #1 ENGINE; IF STILL RUNNING; WAS NOT PRODUCING SIGNIFICANT THRUST. THE CAPT AND I HAD NO CLUE AS TO WHAT HAD FAILED. EVENTUALLY CAPT WENT BACK TO THE LOWER ECAM AND AT SOME POINT IT UNFROZE. THE FIRST FAULT TO COME UP ON THE ECAM WAS AC ESS BUS FAULT. THE ECAM LED CAPT THROUGH THE AC ESS BUS FAULT PROCEDURE AND ONCE ALT ESS FEED WAS SELECTED WE STARTED TO GET SOME LIGHTS; COMMUNICATION AND NAVIGATION EQUIPMENT. ALSO; THE PLANE WENT TO ALTERNATE OR BETTER LAW AND THE #1 ENGINE BEGAN TO PRODUCE A SEMI-NORMAL THRUST IN SOME SORT OF DEGRADED MODE SINCE THERE WAS STILL NO ENGINE #1 PARAMETERS DISPLAYED ON THE UPPER ECAM WHICH HAD ALSO NOW COME BACK. THE TRANSPONDER STARTED WORKING AGAIN AND WE WERE ABLE TO TALK TO CENTER AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS. LOWER ECAM REMAINED FROZEN FOR WHAT FELT LIKE AN ETERNITY (MAYBE 3 TO 5 MINUTES) BEFORE IT UN-FROZE AND TOLD US TO SELECT THE ALTERNATE ESSENTIAL BUS FEED BUTTON. WE HAD VERY LITTLE WORKING UP TO THAT POINT. WHY WAS THE LOWER ECAM FROZEN FOR SO LONG? THE QRH WAS NO HELP. IN THE DARK IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HARD; ON OUR OWN; TO KNOW TO HIT THE ALT ESS BUS FEED BUTTON. PERHAPS THE PILOTS SHOULD BE EDUCATED ON THIS OPTION.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 785503 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AS THE PF THIS REPORTER HAD HIS HANDS FULL. THE NUMBER ONE ENGINE SEEMED TO BE STUCK AT IDLE THRUST EVEN THOUGH AUTO THRUST HAD FAILED AND BOTH THRUST LEVERS WERE IN THE CLIMB DETENT. THIS PRODUCED ASYMMETRIC THRUST AS THE ACFT WAS LEVELED OFF; WHICH WAS COMPOUNDED BY FLIGHT CONTROL COMPUTER FAILURES. THE ND WAS APPARENTLY FROZEN AND THE PFD SHOWED ATTITUDE; ALTITUDE; AND AIRSPEED; WITH THE OTHER PARAMETERS SHOWING XX'S. PRESSURE CHANGES WERE FELT IN THE EARS AND THE FLT CREW DONNED THEIR OXYGEN MASKSAS A PRECAUTION; UNTIL REACHING A LOWER ALTITUDE. WHEN THE CAPT PRESSED THE ESS FEED PUSH BUTTON; THRUST WAS RESTORED ON THE NUMBER ONE ENGINE AND THE ND UNFROZE. THE LANDING AT DESTINATION WAS NEARLY ROUTINE WITH THE ABSENCE OF NOSEWHEEL STEERING AND A TOW TO THE GATE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 785337 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: AFTER NUMEROUS PRESSINGS OF VARIOUS ECAM BUTTONS; THE DISPLAY UNFROZE AND INDICATED THE ESS BUS FEED PUSH BUTTON SHOULD BE PUSHED. THIS RESTORED ESSENTIAL POWER AND ALSO ALLOWED THE LEFT ENGINE TO COME OUT OF IDLE. POWER TO AC 1 AND DC 1 WAS APPARENTLY NEVER RESTORED EVEN THOUGH THE APU WAS BROUGHT ON THE LINE. MAINT APPARENTLY CHANGED THE NUMBER 1 IDG AND REPLACED SOME GENERATOR LINE CONTACTORS TO RESTORE THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM TO NORMAL OPERATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.