1. CIRCUIT Federal Aviation
Administration
BREAKERS
PROTECTING YOUR
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,
YOUR AIRPLANE,
AND YOU
Presented to: THE SATURDAY MORNING
CREW
By: BEN McQUILLAN
Date: MARCH 20, 2010
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4. WHAT TO TAKE HOME FROM
THIS SEMINAR…
• A MORE INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE OF THE
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OF YOUR AIRPLANE
• AN OPERATIONAL UNDERSTANDING OF
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PROTECTION
• FLEXIBLE DEFINITIONS OF ESSENTIAL & NON-
ESSENTIAL ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS
• A “CAPTAIN MINDSET” FOR THE MANAGEMENT
OF YOUR AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS
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5. WHAT IS A CIRCUIT BREAKER?
• A “GATE” THROUGH WHICH ELECTRICITY
TRAVELS FROM THE BATTERY TO THE
COMPONENT WHICH THE CIRCUIT BREAKER
PROTECTS
• ABLE TO OPEN AUTOMATICALLY WHEN THE
WIRING OF THE CIRCUIT GETS TOO HOT (TOO
MUCH VOLTAGE AND/OR RESISTANCE) TO
REMOVE ALL ELECTRICITY FROM
CONTINUING BEYOND THE BREAKER TO THE
COMPROMISED AREA
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6. TYPES OF
CIRCUIT BREAKERS
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7. PULL-TYPE CIRCUIT BREAKERS
• THERMALLY
DISCHARGED (POPPED
OUT)
• ABLE TO BE
DEACTIVATED
(PULLED OUT) BY THE
PILOT
• ABLE TO BE RESET
(PUSHED IN) BY THE
PILOT AFTER CIRCUIT
& BREAKER COOL
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9. NON PULL-TYPE CIRCUIT
• THERMALLY
BREAKERS
DISCHARGED
(POPPED OUT)
• NOT ABLE TO BE
DEACTIVATED
(PULLED OUT) BY
THE PILOT
• ABLE TO BE RESET
(PUSHED IN) BY
THE PILOT AFTER
CIRCUIT &
BREAKER COOL
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10. CIRCUIT BREAKER SWITCHES
• DOUBLES AS THE PRIMARY
CONTROL SWITCH FOR
PROTECTED COMPONENT
• AMP RATING STAMPED ON
END OF SWITCH
• THERMALLY DISCHARGED
(SWITCHED OFF)
• ABLE TO BE DEACTIVATED
(SWITCHED OFF) BY THE PILOT
• ABLE TO BE RESET
(SWITCHED ON) BY THE PILOT
AFTER CIRCUIT & BREAKER
COOL
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11. WHAT DO THEY DO?
• A CIRCUIT BREAKER SENSES AN
OVERLOAD CONDITION WITHIN ITS
ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT
– GROUND FAULTS/ARCING
– OVER-VOLTAGE/OVER-TEMPERATURE
• IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY PREVENT ANY
BATTERY POWER FROM CONTINUING
BEYOND THE BREAKER TO THE FAULTY
WIRING & COMPONENT
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12. HOW DO THEY DO IT?
• NORMAL LOAD VS. OVERLOAD
– CIRCUITS TYPICALLY CARRY ½ THEIR RATED
LOAD (NUMBER ON BREAKER LABEL)
• OVERLOAD = EXCESSIVE HEAT
• EXCESSIVE HEAT TRIPS BREAKER
• NORMALLY FLAT LAYERED METAL STRIPS
EXPAND AT DIFFERENT RATES, CURVE,
AND BREAK AWAY FROM ELECTRICAL
CONNECTION
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13. IT WORKS!
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14. POWER REMOVED
FAULT = HEAT
CIRCUIT
ISOLATED
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15. WHAT TO DO WITH A
TRIPPED CIRCUIT BREAKER
-FAA SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS INFORMATION
BULLETIN (SAIB) CE-10-11, DECEMBER 23RD, 2009
-FAA ADVISORY CIRCULAR AC 120-80
-FAA ADVISORY CIRCULAR AC 25-16
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16. DURING PRE-FLIGHT
• IF YOU FIND A CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED,
IT’S PROBABLY POPPED FOR A GOOD
REASON
– SERIOUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM ON A PREVIOUS
FLIGHT
– MECHANIC TROUBLESHOOTING A MALFUNCTION
OR INSPECTION
– ANNOYING SADISTIC FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR
• DO NOT RESET THE BREAKER UNLESS
THERE ARE NO CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS
ABOUT THAT SYSTEM’S CONDITION
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17. DURING FLIGHT
STOP!...THINK BEFORE ACTING
• NON-ESSENTIAL SYSTEMS
– DON’T TOUCH IT!
– CALMLY CONTINUE THE FLIGHT TO YOUR
DESTINATION OR DIVERT AS YOU SEE FIT,
CONSIDERING THE NOW INOPERATIVE
EQUIPMENT
– THINK AHEAD ABOUT HOW THE INOPERATIVE
EQUIPMENT WILL AFFECT THE REST OF YOUR
FLIGHT, PLAN AS NECESSARY
– AFTER LANDING, HAVE A MECHANIC ADDRESS
THE SITUATION PROPERLY
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18. DURING FLIGHT (CONT.)
• ESSENTIAL SYSTEMS
– LOOK FOR A REASON FOR THE TRIPPED
BREAKER BEFORE JUST RESETTING IT
– BE CERTAIN YOU REALLY WANT THAT SYSTEM
ENOUGH TO RISK A POSSIBLE FIRE
– WAIT AT LEAST 1 MINUTE TO RESET TO ALLOW
CIRCUIT & BREAKER TO COOL DOWN
– BE VIGILANT FOR ANY SMOKE OR BURNING
SMELL
– HAVE A “PLAN B” IN THE EVENT YOU DO START
A FIRE…DO YOU HAVE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER?
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20. DAY VFR
• HMMM…NOT A WHOLE LOT WE ACTUALLY
NEED
• ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP
• LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR
• FLAP ACTUATOR
• ELECTRIC ENGINE INSTRUMENTATION
• ELECTRIC TRIM IN A CIRRUS
• MAYBE A RADIO
• MAYBE A TRANSPONDER
• DEFINITELY NOT A GPS!
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21. NIGHT VFR
• COCKPIT/INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING
• NAVIGATION SOURCE (GPS, VOR, ETC.)
• MAYBE A RADIO
• MAYBE A TRANSPONDER
• ANTI-COLLISION LIGHT
• POSITION LIGHTS
• LANDING LIGHT?...CHICKEN
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22. IFR
• ELECTRIC FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS
• AT LEAST 1 RADIO
• AT LEAST 1 NAVIGATION SOURCE
• TRANSPONDER
• NECESSARY LIGHTING
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23. TRAINING & PRACTICE
• SPEND A FEW MINUTES IN YOUR COCKPIT, LOOK
AT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL, & THINK
ABOUT WHICH SYSTEMS ARE ESSENTIAL & NON
ESSENTIAL FOR THE TYPE OF FLYING YOU DO
• TAKE A CFI UP AND HAVE THEM POP SELECT
CIRCUIT BREAKERS, DISCUSS WHETHER TO
RESET THEM, AND HOW THAT SYSTEM’S FAILURE
WILL AFFECT YOUR FLIGHT IE. THE FLAP
ACTUATOR BREAKER & NO-FLAP LANDING
• BE DILIGENT IN YOUR PREFLIGHT INSPECTIONS,
AND SYSTEMS MONITORING IN-FLIGHT
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24. • JOIN US NEXT SATURDAY FOR:
GARMIN’S TERRAIN AWARENESS &
WARNING SYSTEM (TAWS)
• JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER & DOWNLOAD
THIS PRESENTATION @
www.inflightpilottraining.com
SATURDAY SEMINARS PAGE
• FLY SAFE!
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