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| Date: | Friday 5 March 2004 |
| Time: | 16:39 LT |
| Type: |  Boeing 717-2BD |
| Owner/operator: | Airtran Airways |
| Registration: | N978AT |
| MSN: | 55037/5108 |
| Engine model: | Rolls-Royce BR 715 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 118 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | None |
| Category: | Serious incident |
| Location: | Atlanta, GA -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Passenger - Scheduled |
| Departure airport: | Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, GA (ATL/KATL) |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, MN (MSP/KMSP) | |
| Investigating agency: | NTSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
According to the captain, during the climb out from runway 26L at approximately 200 feet, the number 6 display unit on the pilot's instrument panel went blank and the engine alert display left generator off alert displayed. The first officer requested radar vectors from the Atlanta Tower. After contacting the tower the airplane had a complete electrical power failure, and communications with the Atlanta Tower was lost. Emergency electrical power was restored shortly after the electrical failure. The flight attendants advised the captain that there was smoke in the aft part of the cabin area. The captain and first officer "smelled an electrical burning smell", and declared an emergency. The captain returned to the airport and made an emergency landing, and evacuated the airplane on runway 9R. Examination of the Power Conversion Distribution Unit revealed that the tantalum capacitor and the permanent magnet generator input transformer failed. The failed transformer was the apparent source of the smoke in the cabin. No other anomalies were reported by the captain.
Probable Cause: The failure of the tantalum capacitor and the permanent magnet generator input transformer which resulted in total electrical system failure.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
NTSB ATL04IA085
Location
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Mar-2024 10:01 | ASN Update Bot | Added |
| 06-Nov-2024 17:09 | ASN | Updated [Other fatalities, Phase, Narrative, Category, ] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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