MD90 CREW HAD MASSIVE ELECTRICAL FAILURE ON DEP AT SNA.

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DECLARED EMER FOR ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION. MY DEP RWY 19R. TKOF NORMAL EXCEPT AUTOTHROTTLE DID NOT ARM. HANDED TO SOCAL; CLRED 16000 FT. PASSING 11000 FT; ENTERED CLOUD AND HAD MASSIVE ELECTRIC MALFUNCTION WITH RAPID SWITCHING OF PWR THAT SOUNDED LIKE ARCING BEHIND CAPT'S SEAT. CAPT'S FLT INSTS WERE LOSING AND REGAINING PWR AND FAILED AFTER 3-5 SECONDS. I XFERRED CTL OF ACFT TO FO. INDICATIONS WERE CHANGING TOO RAPIDLY TO READ. INSTRUCTED FO TO REMAIN VFR. #1 VHF INTERMITTENT WITH PWR SWITCHING. HAD FO DECLARED EMER AND REQUEST IMMEDIATE RETURN SNA IN VFR CONDITIONS. INITIALLY REQUESTED LNDG ON RWY 1L BECAUSE FEARED POSSIBLE ELECTRICAL FIRE. USING FLASHLIGHT; INSPECTED PANELS BEHIND MY SEAT AND DETERMINED NO SMOKE OR INDICATION OF FIRE. #1 FLT ATTENDANT CAME FORWARD AND BRIEFED EMER AND HAD CABIN PREPARED FOR LNDG. DECIDED TOO HIGH TO MAKE SAFE LNDG ON RWY 1L AND AS NO APPARENT FIRE; ELECTED TO MAKE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 19R. HAD CONTINUOUS ALT AND OVERSPD WARNINGS ON DSCNT; BUT FO PITOT STATIC INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. EXTENDED GEAR AT 260 KTS ON DOWNWIND. UNSAFE GEAR 'LIGHTS RED' INDICATION; BUT NOSE PIN INDICATED SAFE. CLOSING DC BUS TIE GAVE GREEN LIGHTS. DECIDED TO SUSPEND TROUBLESHOOTING AND GET ACFT ON GND IN VFR CONDITIONS. GAVE FLT ATTENDANT 3-MIN AND 1-MIN WARNINGS. EXTENDED SLATS/FLAPS ON SCHEDULE. FO FLAPS 40 DEG LNDG; AUTOSPOILERS DID NOT DEPLOY; SO I EXTENDED MANUALLY. NO INDICATION OF REVERSE. NORMAL BRAKING STOPPED ACFT AND EXITED TXWY E. ADVISED FLT ATTENDANT AND PAX ON PA THAT EMER WAS OVER AND FIRE TRUCKS WERE FOLLOWING AS A PRECAUTION. RETURNED TO GATE. WX WAS CLR BELOW 11000 FT; VISIBILITY 20 MI.