B767-200
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human-Machine Interface; Troubleshooting
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Diverted; General Maintenance Action
Procedure; Aircraft; Human Factors
During pre flight; the upper EICAS went blank. Maintenance was called and a popped circuit breaker was found: 115V AC BUS1 SEC2. The Mechanic reset the breaker but it immediately popped again. I then observed the Mechanic remove the upper EICAS; check for proper ventilation then reset it. More actions were accomplished but I did not observe them as I was out of the flight deck by then to give the mechanics room to work. The breaker was reset again and remained set. I was informed that the airplane was released to fly. Shortly after take off the breaker popped again. We observed multiple failures: upper EICAS; autothrust; flight directors; transponder; weather radar; and EGPWS. We restored what we could through backup systems then called Dispatch and Maintenance to relay our situation. Maintenance instructed us not to reset the breaker and that we needed to land before ETOPS operation. Dispatch decided on a diversion station best capable to handle our maintenance and passenger situation. After consulting the QRH I determined that it was not 'a condition that dictates it to be safer to land overweight than to continue flight.' We informed ATC of our need to hold in order to burn off fuel to our maximum landing weight. We began an accelerated fuel burn by first extending the speed brakes and then as altitude and speed permitted we lowered the landing gear and flaps. After burning fuel we conducted an uneventful approach and landing. We were informed after the repair that the circuit breaker was faulty. That caused the event.
A B767-200 departing Europe on an ETOPS flight had to divert for maintenance when multiple system components failed due to a faulty Circuit Breaker. The breaker had been worked on by Maintenance prior to departure as a result of an inoperative EICAS screen but was deemed ultimately to have been fixed.