Circuit

Breakers
Handling

Aiming of this briefing is to feed the

flying Crews with knowledge about
Circuit Breakers and is handling,

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Do you need to know how a circuit breaker
works to fly airplanes?

No. But if something goes wrong, this bit of

knowledge will prepare you to weigh the
decision: "should I reset that breaker?"

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 • A “GATE” THROUGH WHICH ELECTRICITY
TRAVELS FROM THE BATTERY TO THE
COMPONENT WHICH THE CIRCUIT
WHAT IS A BREAKER PROTECTS

CIRCUIT
BREAKER? • ABLE TO OPEN AUTOMATICALLY WHEN
THE WIRING OF THE CIRCUIT GETS TO HOT
(TOO MUCH VOLTAGE AND/OR
RESISTANCE) TO REMOVE ALL ELECTRICITY
FROM CONTINUING BEYOND THE
BREAKER TO THE COMPROMISED AREA

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TYPES OF CIRCUIT BREAKERS

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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TYPES OF CIRCUIT BREAKERS

NON PULL-TYPE CIRCUIT BREAKERS

• THERMALLY 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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TYPES OF CIRCUIT BREAKERS

CIRCUIT BREAKERS SWITCHES

• DOUBLES AS THE PRIMARY CONTROL SWITCH FOR

PROTECTED COMPONEMT
• AMP RATING STAMPED ON END OF THE 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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 • A CIRCUIT BREAKER SENSES AN OVERLOAD
CONDITION WHITIN ITS ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT
- GROUND FAULT/ARCING
- OVER-VOLTAGE/OVER- TEMPERATURE
WHAT DO
THEY DO? • IT WILL AUTOMATICALLY PREVENT ANY BATERY
POWER FROM CONTINUING BEYOND THE
BREAKER TO THE FAULTY WIRING &
COMPONEMT OR THIS ONES TO DAMAGE THE
ELECTRICALL NET

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 • NORMAL LOAD VS. OVERLOAD
- CIRCUITS TYPICALLY CARRY ½ THEIR RATED
LOAD (NUMBER ON BREAKER LABEL)

HOW DO • OVERLOAD = EXCESSIVE HEAT

THEY DO
IT? • EXCESSIVE HEAT TRIPS BREAKER

• NORMALLY FLAT LAYERED METAL STRIPS

EXPNAD AT DIFFERENT RATES, CURVE AND BREAK
AWAY FROM ELECTRICAL CONNECTION

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 • There are several designs but this appears to be
typical for an aircraft circuit breaker. The key point is
that the metal disc inside the CB gets hot. When it
gets too hot, it trips. Repeatedly resetting the
breaker, or worse yet, holding it in, increases the
heat. The result can be a breaker with the metal disk
broken so it won't reset or fused shut so it won't
reopen.
How a Typical • A thermal circuit breaker is designed to repeatedly
interrupt short circuits or overloads. Current is
Thermal Circuit passed through a metal strip which bridges two
Breaker Works metal contacts. The strip is designed in an arc which
will suddenly snap into a reverse shape at a certain
temperature. A secondary thermal disc, or the strip
itself, heats up below a critical point if the current
remains below its trip point. Above that point the
strip snaps and the two contact points are no longer
bridged. Once popped, the metal strip must be
allowed to cool before it can be reset. To reset, a
button pushes the outside of the metal strip to snap
it back into its original shape. RVP.CFI.003C.01
Inside a Circuit
Breaker

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 Open Circuit Breaker

Close Circuit Breaker

Circuit Break Operation

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IT WORKS!

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POWER REMOVED

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The Problems With This

• Because the thermal circuit breaker depends on heat, the ambient temperature can
affect the resulting trip point.

• There are a lot of parts in these circuit breakers which can be impacted by corrosion.

• Old circuit breakers can fail in either direction.

• If failed open, you know you have a problem.

• If failed closed, the circuit breaker fails to pop and you've lost any protection you had
been counting on.

• There is also the issue of a "brute force" reset. You can lean on these types of circuit
breakers and force them closed.
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 DURING PRE-FLIGHT
• IF YOU FIND A CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED, IT’S
WHAT TO DO PROBABLY POPPED FOR A GOOD REASON

WITH A - SERIUS ELECTRICAL PROBLEM ON A PREVIUS

TRIPPED FLIGHT
- MECHANIC TROUBLESHOOTING A MALFUNCTION
CIRCUIT OR INSPECTION
- ANNOYING SADISTIC FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR
BREAKER
• DO NOT RESET THE BREAKER UNLESS THERE ARE
NO CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
SYSTEM’S CONDITION

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 DURING FLIGHT
STOP!...THINK BEFORE ACTING
• NON-ESSENCIAL SYSTEMS
WHAT TO DO
WITH A - DON’T TOUCH IT

TRIPPED - CALMLY CONTINUE THE FLIGHT TO YOUR

CIRCUIT DESTINATION OR DIVERT AS YOU SEE IT,

CONSIDERING THE NOW OPERATIVE EQUIPMENT
BREAKER - THINK AHEAD ABOUT HOW THE INOPERATIVE
EQUIPEMENT WILL AFFECT THE REST OF YOUR
FLIGHT, PLAN AS NECESSARY

- AFTER LANDING, HAVE A MECHANIC ADDRESS THE

SITUATION PROPERLY
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 DURING FLIGHT (CONT.)
• ESSENCIAL SYSTEMS

- LOOK FOR A REASON FOR THE TRIPPED BREAKER

WHAT TO DO BEFORE JUST RESETING IT

WITH A - BE CERTAIN YOU REALLY WANT THAT SYSTEM

TRIPPED ENOUGH TO RISK A POSSIBLE FIRE

CIRCUIT - WAIT AT LEAST 1 minute TO RESET TO ALLOW

CIRCUIT & BREAKER TO COOL DOWN
BREAKER
- 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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 DAY
• HMMM…NOT A WHOLE LOT WE ACTUALLY NEED
• ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP
• LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR
• FLAP ACTUATOR
• ELECTRIC ENGINE INSTRUMENTATION
Essencial • RADIO
Systems • TRANSPONDER
VFR • DEFINITELY NOT A GPS!..

NIGHT
• COCKPIT/INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING
• NAVIGATION SOURCE (GPS, VOR, ADF, ETC.)
• RADIO
• TRANSPONDER
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 • ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP
• LANDING GEAR ACTUATOR
• FLAP ACTUATOR
• ELECTRIC ENGINE INSTRUMENTATION
Essencial • ELECTRIC FLIGHT INSTRUMENTS
Systems • RADIO
IFR • TRANSPONDER
• COCKPIT/INSTRUMENT PANEL LIGHTING
• NAVIGATION SOURCE (GPS, VOR, ADF, ETC.)
• ANTI-COLLISION LIGHT & POSITION LIGHTS
• LANDING LIGHT?...CHIKEN

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Is it a switch? How often can you reset?

FAA AC 120-80A, 16

a. Resetting Circuit Breakers in Flight.

(1) The FAA reiterates its concern about resetting circuit breakers during flight. Crewmembers may
create a potentially hazardous situation if they reset a circuit breaker without knowing what caused
it to trip. You should not reset a tripped circuit breaker in flight unless doing so is consistent with
explicit procedures specified in the approved operating manual used by the flightcrew or unless, in
the judgment of the captain, resetting the circuit breaker is absolutely necessary for the safe
completion of the flight. A detailed entry in the aircraft’s maintenance log is a proven safety
practice for tracking purposes, and may provide maintenance personnel with key information to
enable prompt troubleshooting and effective corrective action on the ground.
(2) Air carrier manuals and training programs should contain company policies and explicit
procedures regarding resetting tripped circuit breakers, both during flight and on the ground. The
procedures shown in the manuals used by the air carrier’s crewmembers, maintenance personnel,
and airplane ground servicing personnel should be consistent with the airplane manufacturer’s
guidance. You should remind crewmembers not to use a circuit breaker as a switch to perform
procedural functions unless doing so is specified in approved company procedures or
manufacturer’s operating procedures .
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b. Potential Hazards Associated with Tripped Circuit Breakers. The FAA has published guidance material that
states that circuit breakers are slow-acting devices and may not offer sufficient disconnect protection during
events such as arc tracking or insulation flash-over. Arc tracking is a phenomenon in which a conductive carbon
path forms across an insulating surface. The carbon path provides a short circuit path through which current
can flow (e.g., electrical arcing). The effects of electrical faults can include:
Component overheating;
Toxic fumes;
Fire;
Damage to wires, wire bundles, or parts;
Melting of holes in sheet metal parts by faulted, high-current feeder cables;
Melting and burning of titanium bleed air ducts by a chafed, high-current feeder
Electromagnetic interference (EMI) with equipment; and
The simultaneous and unreasonable loss of both engine-driven generators in a two-engine airplane.
NOTE: The current edition of AC 25-16, Electrical Fault and Fire Prevention and Protection, contains
additional information about this subject.
c. Using a Circuit Breaker as an On/Off Switch. Since circuit breakers are designed to open an electrical circuit
automatically at a predetermined overload of current, they should not be used for day-to-day operational
functions because they would not be performing their intended function, which is protection against
overloads. You should not use circuit breakers, even those suitable for frequent operation, as a switch to turn
protected items on or off. An air carrier should publish and include in its approved maintenance programs and
flight operations manuals any exceptions to this procedure.
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 TRAINNIG & PRATICE
• FIRST BE FAMILIAR WITH YOUR ARICRAFT ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, REFER TO AFM

• SPEND A FEW MINUTES IN YOUR COCKPIT, LOOK AT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PANEL &
THINK ABOUT WICH SYSTEMS ARE ESSENCIAL & NON ESSENCIAL FOR THE TYPE OF
FLIGHTS YOU DO

• TAKE YOUR INSTRUCTOR AND HAVE THEM POP SELECT CIRCUIT BREAKERS, DISCUSS
WHETER TO RESET THEM AND HOW THAT SYSTEM FAILURE AFFECT YOUR FLIGHT
Example: THE FLAP ACTUATOR BREAKER & NO-FLAP LANDING

• BE DILIGENT IN YOUR PREFLIGHT INSPECTIONS AND SYSTEMS MONITORING IN-FLIGHT

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