Lessons Learned: Loss of Displays During Climb
During a climb, an aircraft suffered a loss of multiple electrical systems and displays, as investigated by AAIB (Air Accidents Investigation Branch).
During the departure climb, the flight crew reported that all the electronic instrument display screens went blank. The displays returned but some system faults remained. The aircraft returned to Aberdeen, where it landed normally.
A fault with the 1PA electrical contactor was found which had probably contributed to the severity of the incident, but the underlying cause(s) are still under investigation. The aircraft manufacturer published an Airworthiness Operator Message (AOM 2022/04) in October 2022 to recommend that all operators of this aircraft type perform an operational test of the 1PA contactor.
In October 2023, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency published Airworthiness Directive 2023-0181 which mandated the operational test of the 1PA contactor and for it to be repeated at 1,000 flight hour intervals.
This AAIB statement provides the mandated update on the second anniversary of a *Serious Incident which remains under investigation. The Serious Incident involved an ATR 42-500, registration G-LMRC, after departure from Aberdeen Airport, on 27 August 2022.
A final report will be published when the investigation has been completed.
*“Serious Incident” [AAIB] means an incident involving circumstances indicating that there was a high probability of an accident and is associated with the operation of an aircraft, which in the case of a manned aircraft, takes place between the time any person boards the aircraft with the intention of flight until such time as all such persons have disembarked, or in the case of an unmanned aircraft, takes place between the time the aircraft is ready to move with the purpose of flight until such time it comes to rest at the end of the flight and the primary propulsion system is shut down.
