“We have 30 minutes before we get dark”. Electrical failure | PSA Airlines CRJ-700 | Boston, ATC

THIS VIDEO IS A RECONSTRUCTION OF THE FOLLOWING SITUATION IN FLIGHT:
27-APR-2022. A PSA Airlines Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-700 (CRJ7), registration N541EA, performing flight JIA9950 / OH9950 from Bangor International Airport, ME (USA) to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, NC (USA) being about 80 miles west of Boston at 36000 feet declared an emergency, reported electrical issue and decided to divert to Boston Logan International Airport, MA (USA).
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PART OF TEXT VERSION OF COMMUNICATIONS THAT I'M ABLE TO INCLUDE HERE. Do you want more? Write in comments and I'll give you remaining part of text communications (Read if subtitles in video were fast):
COMMENTS: Blue Streak 9950 was at 36000 feet about 50 miles northwest of Boston when the crew contacted controller.
JIA9950: Center, this is Blue Streak 9950, we may have an electrical issue. We might have to divert but we’ll let you know shortly.
CENTER: Blue Streak 9950, roger, keep me advised. And where were you thinking of diverting to and would you be ... an emergency at this time?
JIA9950: That’s negative on the emergency. We'll have to figure out that diversion if it becomes necessary. But we're gonna be talking with company. We actually have maintenance on board right now so we’ll get back to you, Blue Streak 9950.
CENTER: Okay, keep me advised.
JIA9950: Blue Streak 9950, If you have to divert, what would that airport be?
CENTER: We’re considering Boston or JFK at this time. We’re still figuring it out with our maintenance on board here, just stand-by shortly, Blue Streak 9950.
JIA9950: Roger.
JIA9950: Blue Streak 9950, we are gonna declare an emergency. We’re gonna divert to… Boston. And if we could go ahead and get a descent, that would be great.
CENTER: Blue Streak 9950, descend and maintain FL280, make a right turn, heading of 100.
JIA9950: Alright, right turn heading 11... 100 and down to 280, Blue Streak 9950.
JIA9950: Boston, Blue Streak 9950, just be aware, we do have about 30 minutes left on our electric before we get dark. Just so you guys are aware.
CENTER: Blue Streak 9950, copy, you can proceed direct to the Boston Airport.
JIA9950: Direct to Boston, Blue Streak 9950.
CENTER: Blue Streak 9950, say souls on board and fuel remaining in time.
JIA9950: I’m sorry, could you say it again, for 9950?
CENTER: Yup, souls on board and fuel remaining in time?
JIA9950: We got 4 souls on board and about… about… stand-by on the fuel.
CENTER: Roger.
JIA9950: Blue Streak 9950, we got about 2 hours and 50 minutes of fuel on board, 4 souls.
CENTER: Thank you.
CENTER: Blue Streak 9950, descend and maintain FL240.
JIA9950: 240, Blue Streak 9950.
CENTER: You said 2:50 on the fuel, for 9950, correct?
JIA9950: Affirmative, 9950.
CENTER: Blue Streak 9950, do you require any assistance during touchdown?
JIA9950: Negative, Blue Streak 9950.
CENTER: Thank you, contact Boston Center 133.42.
JIA9950: 33.42, Blue Streak 9950.
CENTER: Blue Streak 9950.
JIA9950: Blue Streak 9950, checking on 240, we need to get lower if able sooner.
------ This is maximum I can write here. Do you want more? Write in comments and I'll give you remaining part of text communications ------
THE VALUE OF THIS VIDEO:
THE MAIN VALUE IS EDUCATION. This reconstruction will be useful for actual or future air traffic controllers and pilots, people who plan to connect life with aviation, who like aviation. With help of this video reconstruction you’ll learn how to use radiotelephony rules, Aviation English language and general English language (for people whose native language is not English) in situation in flight, which was shown. THE MAIN REASON I DO THIS IS TO HELP PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND EVERY EMERGENCY SITUATION, EVERY WORD AND EVERY MOVE OF AIRCRAFT.
SOURCES OF MATERIAL, LICENSES AND PERMISSIONS:
Source of communications - www.liveatc.net/ (I have a permission (Letter) for commercial use of radio communications from LiveATC.net).
Map, aerial pictures (License (ODbL) ©OpenStreetMap -www.openstreet...) Permission for commercial use, royalty-free use.
Radar screen (In new versions of videos) - Made by author.
Text version of communication - Made by Author.
Video editing - Made by author.
HOW I DO VIDEOS:
1) I monitor media, airspace, looking for any non-standard, emergency and interesting situation.
2) I find communications of ATC unit for the period of time I need.
3) I take only phrases between air traffic controller and selected flight.
4) I find a flight path of selected aircraft.
5) I make an animation (early couple of videos don’t have animation) of flight path and aircraft, where the aircraft goes on his route.
6) When I edit video I put phrases of communications to specific points in video (in tandem with animation).
7) Together with my comments (voice and text) I edit and make a reconstruction of emergency, non-standard and interesting situation in flight.

[@BChandl13]

"If we can we get 33L" "You'll be able to get it" ATC turns into miracle workers when that squawk code shows 7700

[@kkap895]

I mean allowing a plane that declared an emergency the run way of their choice seems pretty standard, even if they forget or don't have time to change to 7700

[@TheEqlzr]

Tru😂

[@BChandl13]

@SilverX707 NO SHIT SHIRLOCK YOU DON'T SAY LMAO.

[@dragon32210]

Glad this was a ferry flight and went well. Great comms and landing

[@YouCanSeeATC]

👍

[@lilymulligan8180]

Rumor has it that they're still trying to get below that cloud deck.

[@msjdb723]

😁

[@jamessmithson99]

So glad the controllers don't waste time and effort passing information from position to position.

[@alvisepapazzoni1208]

Looks like it is common in US... They keep asking POB and FOB 😐

[@CharlesCornettFL]

I cringed about 8 times (retired ATC).

[@BChandl13]

Maint Teams are something else. This bird diverts with a "we got 30 until we're flying a jet with no electrics" and lands at 6:45pm. It's in the air continuing on to Charlotte 2.5hrs later.

[@AEMoreira81]

I am surprised that the passengers weren’t then placed on a mainline jet to CLT. BOS is somewhat of a focus city for AA and also a 737 crew base.

[@BChandl13]

@@AEMoreira81 Did you not watch the video? 3 times FO said there were only 4 pax on board. This was a repositioning flight only. Also the flight number 99XX gives away that it's not a regularly scheduled pax flight.

[@kkap895]

cause it was a simple press of the GFI reset

[@michaelburkart3115]

All they had to do was turn it off then turn it back on again. Thanks tech support!

[@mkkm945]

Seems like an easy fix. This aircraft was in the air within a couple of hours of diverting and has been in active service since.

[@tomstravels520]

Sounds like they’re running on batteries only if they have 30 minutes. So that likely means both engine generators have failed, the APU cannot connect to the electrical system/doesn’t work and the RAT cannot help either. What on earth happened?

[@tuanismancr2893]

I believe the CRJ doesn’t have a RAT

[@tomstravels520]

@@tuanismancr2893 it’s officially called the ADG (Air Driven Generator) on the CRJ apparently

[@JoshOnGuitar]

@@tomstravels520 That is correct. The ADG on the 7/9 provides 15 kva of emergency power instead of the normal 40, so it only powers the bare minimum. It should deploy automatically with a complete loss of power like this.

[@RonPiggott]

I was thinking this exact thing.

[@Rublo01]

@@JoshOnGuitar But that's enough to not "going dark". I'm also wondering what happened.

[@lyfandeth]

Professionals all around.

[@YourThermalWorld]

They also had BDL, ORH and PVD available but I guess BOS made sense as they probably have more maintenance resources there.

[@adambolduc1904]

I work there at BOS, region carriers have squat for maintenance resources on site 😂

[@alexmelia8873]

@Ashkabek Mensex they need time to run emergency checklists and also BOS has a longer runway.

[@imaPangolin]

What fails that leave them on battery only? The CRJ is an AC not a DC airplane. There's two engine driven generators that can each fully supply the airplane. There's the APU generator (Start it below 35000 feet and < 230 knots) that will provide full electrical power. Then there's the ADG (Air Driven Generator) 15 KVA so limited power, to certain systems, Flaps, Slats, Stab trim channel 2, AC Essential Bus, HYD 3B pump) but still would not leave them "dark in 30 minutes". The only thing I know that would be dark in 30 is the Standby instrument (Attitude, heading, airspeed and NAV 1) . So this is a little baffling.

[@tomstravels520]

What do the batteries power? Can they power AC ESS or like a AC ESS SHED?

[@imaPangolin]

@@tomstravels520 no. Dc essential bus is battery powered. All other dc (and there’s not much) is powered via Transformer rectifier units that convert ac to dc. It’s mostly interior lighting. The airplane is an AC airplane. It has no inverters to turn DC into AC. The batteries are used for APU startup.

[@tomstravels520]

@@imaPangolin ah ok. I’m more an Airbus systems person and the RAT on that can power the AC ESS which powers the DC ESS through an ESS TRU

[@imaPangolin]

@@tomstravels520 DC Ess is powered from AC ess which is powered by the ADG so that’s similar - so their ADG has to be dead. It’s automaticity deployed when AC power is lost. It’s loud. We would have heard it on their radio transmissions so it clearly was not deployed.

[@tomstravels520]

​@@imaPangolin Interesting. I wonder if there is a way either the ADG deployed but didn't connect to the electrical system. Still doesn't explain how 2 engine generators failed. I've heard of aircraft departing without an APU operative before

[@RonPiggott]

Now that is an emergency I can get behind. Almost time for a coffee.

[@davecrupel2817]

They're right above Westfield/Springfield international when they declared the emergency. And they're closer to ALB international than to Boston by about 2/3. Why would they go all the way to Boston? (Which, granted, isn't much further at all for that speed and that altitude.)

[@aliceragican4763]

I would assume they knew the airport better than the others you have mentioned or maybe the runways were a bit better (i have never been to either airports) They may have felt more comfortable heading to Boston, even thinking of heading to JFK. Maybe the company also told them Boston had people there to work out the electrical issue. These are my speculations

[@davecrupel2817]

@@aliceragican4763 Perhaps. I'm also inclined to think Boston having better emergency & service equipment may have been a factor.

[@kkap895]

Westfield is not an international Airport, it's a military base,

[@TheFunninthesun]

In addition, the company OPS specs has specific approved airports that they can divert to. Certain airports do not have the facilities to fuel, air stairs for the pax, MX etc.

[@cody3624]

Is there missing audio the controller said to maintain 190 knots and that's it

[@YouCanSeeATC]

The audio was broken on that frequency.

[@papercitygamerjeff1437]

Why not land in Hartford they were mins away and than went to Boston?

[@sylviaelse5086]

What happened to "Need immediate diversion to Boston". "Need immediate descent to x feet", "We require 33L". Once an emergency is declared (by using Mayday Mayday Mayday, of course) the aircraft commander is in control, not ATC.

[@rdspam]

“We’re going to divert to Boston….you can proceed directly to the Boston airport”. “If we can get runway 33L…you’ll be able to get it”. “If we could get a descent that would be great…descend and maintain…”, “Do you require any assistance during touchdown?”. “We want to get below this cloud deck…descend…perfect, thanks.” “Tell me when you want to turn back”. “Probably need a 180 heading…180 is approved”. “Do you need any assistance?”. What needs did the aircraft have that ATC didn’t fulfill? Are you complaining that the aircraft didn’t say “immediate” enough?

[@sylviaelse5086]

@@rdspam On this occasion, it worked out. It was still imprecise.

[@tompurvis1261]

Traveling with maintenance on board. What were they anticipating?

[@tompurvis1261]

4 souls on board. They must have known the plane was not ready for prime time.

[@Tker1970]

Only four people onboard. Something unusual.

[@MSRTA_Productions]

@@Tker1970 it's a matinence flight

[@N1120A]

That's clearly a maintenance ferry. If you see the flight number, it's not regularly scheduled.

[@spelldaddy5386]

It seems like it was a ferry flight, likely with 2 pilots and 2 FAs who were about to staff the next flight. Typically a ferry flight will follow maintenance, though not always, and even if there was maintenance, the mechanics determined that the aircraft was airworthy, and sent it out to service. If it were a maintenance test flight, they wouldn't have planned to go all the way across the country; they would have just flown locally to test whatever needed to be tested

[@nitemoves3157]

No stage 14. Heating on probes, big ouch

[@davidpulaski5628]

At approximately 1:30 min in the video they were on a direct path to Bradley, (BDL) international airport in CT. Could have been on the ground safely in minutes. Just say'n.

[@Bruinslovercmb]

Even PVD

[@SeligTiles]

Company told them Boston for a reason. Perhaps Bradley wasn’t “nearest SUITABLE”.

[@rdspam]

And they were talking with their company, evaluating the best location for a safe landing, crew availability, repair facilities, etc. to meet the need of their situation. Just sayin’… Unless you think you know better than the pilots, the onboard maintenance staff, and the operations staff they spoke with.

[@imaPangolin]

It's complicated. They may have MX in BOS. Also their ops specs may not allow a landing in BDL so it's avoided unless absolutely necessary..

[@zidoocfi]

At the risk of sounding critical of the controllers, having someone launch just prior to the arrival of an airliner with a serious electrical problem (maybe less than 30 minutes of power remaining, not enough power to heat the air data probes), sounds like poor judgment. If that departing aircraft doesn't get out as expected, it could put the flight crew of the emergency aircraft in a real predicament. Of course, on a video like this it's hard to tell just how much room there was between the two, so I'm trying to make this point generically. It's just something for controllers to think about, presented by a pilot who researches lots of emergencies.

[@tompurvis1261]

I am surprised by ATC and other pilot actions when an emergency flight is in progress. More than once some inpatient pilot asks when it will be their turn to land or take off or Wants clearance for touch and goes.

[@N1120A]

The emergency was electrical in nature. Their primary concern was a loss of instrumentation in IMC. Once they were below the layer and in VMC, they would be able to maneuver in the terminal environment if the runway somehow was blocked. There was nothing wrong with getting a departure out.

[@davidmoser3535]

@@N1120A Perfect answer Ali

[@sct913]

@@tompurvis1261 And if the requested operation would have potentially impacted the outcome of the flight with the emergency, ATC would have denied the pilot's request. Note that, once the flight had been handed off from Boston Center and was under the control of Logan ATC, there was no mention of the emergency situation in any of the comms. Which makes sense, because Boston Center had already received the pertinent information and relayed it to the Logan controllers. In a situation like they were facing, no need to require the flight crew to repeat the same information multiple times.

[@zidoocfi]

@@N1120A I respectfully disagree on the primary grounds that in an emergency like this, we wouldn't want to see ATC hold an emergency aircraft while other aircraft come and go, reasoning that "they're VMC now, so they don't have a threat anymore." Any emergency that would cause ATC to not hold an inbound emergency should imply that ATC probably should not depart an aircraft just prior to the arrival of the emergency aircraft. Those two implications should be closely linked, in my opinion. In an emergency, everyone involved should hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

[@Enrique6299]

Why couldn't he go directly to the airport?Why did he have to divert?

[@AndrewAbraham83]

Not a pilot so forgive the probable dumb question. Why such and indirect flight path after declaring an emergency? Why not rapid descent to below cloud cover on a direct vector and get other planes out of the way? He's an emergency aircraft.

[@juliusreiner5733]

Wonder why they didn’t go to Hartford (BDL) or Providence (PVD) or a few other closer airports given the situation

[@alexmelia8873]

Boston has longer runways.

[@moisesperez4659]

Never quite got the fuel on board thing.

[@matthewhoff7363]

They are politely asking how big of a splash there is gonna be if it doesn't work out. As well as the degree of equipment they should have ready to put it out. Cheers.

[@sreed8570]

I wonder why they couldn't start the APU. 30 min of power sounds like they were running on the batteries. Its nuts because each engine has a generator plus the APU and when all else fails theres the RAT Ram air turbine for emergency hyd, and some power.

[@goldenshield]

Sounds to me like the RAT failed to deploy as well.

[@stephenp448]

Unless I'm mistaken, the RAT is an emergency hydraulic pump that provides just enough pressure to operate the flight controls. During the Gimli Glider incident in 1982, the RAT allowed the crew to maintain control of the plane, but the electronic instruments in the cockpit all failed. Even with the RAT, there wasn't enough hydraulic pressure to extend the flaps, and the gear had to be gravity-dropped.

[@13ralph41]

Stephen yes you are mistaken. RAT ram air turbine, emergency electric power. Not hydraulic

[@imaPangolin]

@@13ralph41 Kind of both wrong. Different in different airplane. It's called an ADG in the CRJ (air Driven Generator) 15KVA of AC, power to Hyd system 3 B pump (lowers the gear. inboard brakes) AC Essential Bus (which would provide probe heat) Stab trim channel 2, flaps and slats. But it clearly failed if they were on battery and using just the standby instrument - and had no heat. So it's not a hydraulic pump directly but it does power the backup HYD system 3 electric pump. (Both Hyd 3 pumps are electric in the CRJ).

[@kkap895]

comments section here seems like a place where people's sit around think how can I make a comment to pretend I know more about this subject matter than I really do.

[@dianericciardistewart2224]

👍✈✈👍

[@luv2fly452]

Why are pilots afraid of saying PAN PAN PAN and MAYDAY MAYDA MAYDAY? Every pilot should listen to the ThompsonFly 757 bird strike. Thats how you talk on the radio.

[@imaPangolin]

Done it enough to know. "WE are declaring an emergency" is enough.

[@chaoacne]

Declaring an emergency is enough. No need that extra drama.

[@luv2fly452]

@@chaoacne, I guess you didn't listen to the ThompsonFly video did you?

[@chaoacne]

@@luv2fly452 Yelling May Day or pan pan like a parrot. won’t get you more or less priority to an airport than saying “Im declaring an emergency” so who cares. What’s important the way they handle the emergency. The day you become an airline pilot. You’ll understand.

[@luv2fly452]

@@chaoacne So I guess you didn't watch the video? The day you become... Thats funny. I'm an airline pilot who retires in three years.

[@comcfi]

Pilot needs to get control of his voice

[@Mai-ze1wl]

Bruh

[@billfly2186]

Agree. Very meek sounding. Step up your game - it's SHOWTIME.

[@raygale4198]

Definatly more screaming and shouting "we're all going to die" needed. Any more laid back and they would have had to shake him awake after the landing.

[@rdspam]

Every word sounded like he was out of breath. It got to where it could be difficult to understand.

[@jort93z]

A timestamp somewhere would be helpful. As some parts of the video seem to be sped up.