Narrative:

On takeoff roll approximately 85 KTS I noticed my panel light flicker, then caught an amber acw light on the overhead panel and aborted takeoff. Upon clearing runway I consulted checklist and reset acw generator which worked normally, even carrying load when other side generator was turned off and anti-ice was selected on. We then attempted takeoff and at 85 KTS experienced same problem. This item is inhibited during takeoff from giving a master caution which would normally call for an abort. I chose to abort although not technically necessary since we would be entering icing immediately after takeoff and would have to return with the generator inoperative. After the second abort I made a maintenance entry and returned to the gate. After all was over my first officer informed me that he felt I had violated FARS by attempting the second takeoff. We checked our operations and flight manuals but could find nothing to verify this. If this was a violation it was caused by the fact that 50% of all ATR warnings and cautions are incorrect and that we constantly lose components that come back after cycling on and off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR ATR72 FLC REJECT THEIR TKOF TWICE WHEN A GENERATOR WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE REJECT FOR THIS PROB WAS NOT REQUIRED, APPARENTLY, BUT THE WX CONDITIONS CREATED A GREATER SENSE OF CAUTION IN THE CAPT.

Narrative: ON TKOF ROLL APPROX 85 KTS I NOTICED MY PANEL LIGHT FLICKER, THEN CAUGHT AN AMBER ACW LIGHT ON THE OVERHEAD PANEL AND ABORTED TKOF. UPON CLRING RWY I CONSULTED CHKLIST AND RESET ACW GENERATOR WHICH WORKED NORMALLY, EVEN CARRYING LOAD WHEN OTHER SIDE GENERATOR WAS TURNED OFF AND ANTI-ICE WAS SELECTED ON. WE THEN ATTEMPTED TKOF AND AT 85 KTS EXPERIENCED SAME PROB. THIS ITEM IS INHIBITED DURING TKOF FROM GIVING A MASTER CAUTION WHICH WOULD NORMALLY CALL FOR AN ABORT. I CHOSE TO ABORT ALTHOUGH NOT TECHNICALLY NECESSARY SINCE WE WOULD BE ENTERING ICING IMMEDIATELY AFTER TKOF AND WOULD HAVE TO RETURN WITH THE GENERATOR INOP. AFTER THE SECOND ABORT I MADE A MAINT ENTRY AND RETURNED TO THE GATE. AFTER ALL WAS OVER MY FO INFORMED ME THAT HE FELT I HAD VIOLATED FARS BY ATTEMPTING THE SECOND TKOF. WE CHKED OUR OPS AND FLT MANUALS BUT COULD FIND NOTHING TO VERIFY THIS. IF THIS WAS A VIOLATION IT WAS CAUSED BY THE FACT THAT 50% OF ALL ATR WARNINGS AND CAUTIONS ARE INCORRECT AND THAT WE CONSTANTLY LOSE COMPONENTS THAT COME BACK AFTER CYCLING ON AND OFF.

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.