Narrative:

I was deadheaded into sfo to pick up an aircraft which had been broken for the last several hours. The write up on the aircraft said that the right generator had dropped off line in flight and was unable to be restored. Maintenance was unable to fix or isolate what was causing the problem and wanted us to ferry the aircraft to our maintenance base. I was very concerned about ferrying the aircraft single generator at night without the cause of generator failure being known. I then called the chief pilot to express my reservations. The chief pilot thought that the chances of a problem on the flight were 'less than 1 in a 1000' and after discussing the WX, where to divert to if a problem occurred and some discussion on the electrical system I agreed to go. I then went to maintenance and asked for any specific instructions. Taxi out and takeoff were uneventful. Approximately 15 mins after takeoff communication radio 2 stopped working followed quickly by navigation radio 2. Shortly thereafter, communication radio 1 became very weak and full of static. At this point we elected to divert to the closest suitable airport. We notified ATC of our problem and told them we had the runway in sight and were cleared for the visual approach. On approach for landing the flaps worked and indicated normally but upon selecting gear down got no gear down indications and did not feel the gear go down. We decided to blow the gear down with the emergency accumulator, the problem being the emergency accumulator pressure gauge was reading close to 0. After discharging the emergency accumulator we still got no gear down indications. At this point we declared the emergency. The landing was uneventful and the gear was locked down. My decision to ferry the aircraft despite the fact maintenance was unable to find the cause of the problem was poor. To assume that the chief pilot or maintenance had better insights than myself is a fallacy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMER LNDG AFTER EMER DECLARED SUBSEQUENT TO LOSS OF PRIMARY ELECTRICAL SUPPLY.

Narrative: I WAS DEADHEADED INTO SFO TO PICK UP AN ACFT WHICH HAD BEEN BROKEN FOR THE LAST SEVERAL HRS. THE WRITE UP ON THE ACFT SAID THAT THE R GENERATOR HAD DROPPED OFF LINE IN FLT AND WAS UNABLE TO BE RESTORED. MAINT WAS UNABLE TO FIX OR ISOLATE WHAT WAS CAUSING THE PROBLEM AND WANTED US TO FERRY THE ACFT TO OUR MAINT BASE. I WAS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT FERRYING THE ACFT SINGLE GENERATOR AT NIGHT WITHOUT THE CAUSE OF GENERATOR FAILURE BEING KNOWN. I THEN CALLED THE CHIEF PLT TO EXPRESS MY RESERVATIONS. THE CHIEF PLT THOUGHT THAT THE CHANCES OF A PROBLEM ON THE FLT WERE 'LESS THAN 1 IN A 1000' AND AFTER DISCUSSING THE WX, WHERE TO DIVERT TO IF A PROBLEM OCCURRED AND SOME DISCUSSION ON THE ELECTRICAL SYS I AGREED TO GO. I THEN WENT TO MAINT AND ASKED FOR ANY SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS. TAXI OUT AND TKOF WERE UNEVENTFUL. APPROX 15 MINS AFTER TKOF COM RADIO 2 STOPPED WORKING FOLLOWED QUICKLY BY NAV RADIO 2. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, COM RADIO 1 BECAME VERY WEAK AND FULL OF STATIC. AT THIS POINT WE ELECTED TO DIVERT TO THE CLOSEST SUITABLE ARPT. WE NOTIFIED ATC OF OUR PROBLEM AND TOLD THEM WE HAD THE RWY IN SIGHT AND WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL APCH. ON APCH FOR LNDG THE FLAPS WORKED AND INDICATED NORMALLY BUT UPON SELECTING GEAR DOWN GOT NO GEAR DOWN INDICATIONS AND DID NOT FEEL THE GEAR GO DOWN. WE DECIDED TO BLOW THE GEAR DOWN WITH THE EMER ACCUMULATOR, THE PROBLEM BEING THE EMER ACCUMULATOR PRESSURE GAUGE WAS READING CLOSE TO 0. AFTER DISCHARGING THE EMER ACCUMULATOR WE STILL GOT NO GEAR DOWN INDICATIONS. AT THIS POINT WE DECLARED THE EMER. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND THE GEAR WAS LOCKED DOWN. MY DECISION TO FERRY THE ACFT DESPITE THE FACT MAINT WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM WAS POOR. TO ASSUME THAT THE CHIEF PLT OR MAINT HAD BETTER INSIGHTS THAN MYSELF IS A FALLACY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.