Narrative:

I was the captain on flight from prescott, az. After being cleared for takeoff on runway 21L, crossing over the hold short line, the left dc generator annunciator illuminated indicating that the left generator had gone off the line. The first officer and I advised tower that we would need to taxi off of the active runway due to an annunciator that had illuminated. Once we were clear of the runway I felt that there was not an appropriate spot to complete the required checklists and elected to taxi to the ramp/gate area to complete our abnormal checklists. This decision was made because of the numerous planes in the traffic pattern, approach and on adjacent txwys. After completing the after landing checklist we completed the generator inoperative abnormal checklist. The generator did not come back on the line and after consulting with my first officer we felt that we should deplane the passenger because of concern for possible heating of the cabin with elderly persons aboard. After the aircraft was shut down and the passenger were deplaned the first officer and I concluded that pwring the aircraft down completely and restarting the engines would reboot the generators and gcu's (generator control units). The aircraft was started and both generators were tested to see if the left generator would go off the line again. After several attempts to add a higher electrical load to the system it was apparent that the generator was operating properly. Passenger were re-boarded and the flight continued to phoenix. The flight was normal and uneventful. The aircraft was not written up as in the log as we did not feel that we had a discrepancy. We felt that the lowering of the flaps to 17 degrees was the cause of the gcu taking the generator off the line. I had seen this done once before by a captain when I was a first officer and it worked. This was the first time that I have experienced this type of thing before as a captain. There was no further disruption of electrical power from the generator for the remaining 7 legs of the day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B190 FLT CREW EXPERIENCE A GENERATOR GO OFF LINE. THEY RETURN TO THE GATE, TURN THE ENTIRE ACFT OFF, THEN BACK ON. THE PROB WENT AWAY.

Narrative: I WAS THE CAPT ON FLT FROM PRESCOTT, AZ. AFTER BEING CLRED FOR TKOF ON RWY 21L, XING OVER THE HOLD SHORT LINE, THE L DC GENERATOR ANNUNCIATOR ILLUMINATED INDICATING THAT THE L GENERATOR HAD GONE OFF THE LINE. THE FO AND I ADVISED TWR THAT WE WOULD NEED TO TAXI OFF OF THE ACTIVE RWY DUE TO AN ANNUNCIATOR THAT HAD ILLUMINATED. ONCE WE WERE CLR OF THE RWY I FELT THAT THERE WAS NOT AN APPROPRIATE SPOT TO COMPLETE THE REQUIRED CHKLISTS AND ELECTED TO TAXI TO THE RAMP/GATE AREA TO COMPLETE OUR ABNORMAL CHKLISTS. THIS DECISION WAS MADE BECAUSE OF THE NUMEROUS PLANES IN THE TFC PATTERN, APCH AND ON ADJACENT TXWYS. AFTER COMPLETING THE AFTER LNDG CHKLIST WE COMPLETED THE GENERATOR INOP ABNORMAL CHKLIST. THE GENERATOR DID NOT COME BACK ON THE LINE AND AFTER CONSULTING WITH MY FO WE FELT THAT WE SHOULD DEPLANE THE PAX BECAUSE OF CONCERN FOR POSSIBLE HEATING OF THE CABIN WITH ELDERLY PERSONS ABOARD. AFTER THE ACFT WAS SHUT DOWN AND THE PAX WERE DEPLANED THE FO AND I CONCLUDED THAT PWRING THE ACFT DOWN COMPLETELY AND RESTARTING THE ENGS WOULD REBOOT THE GENERATORS AND GCU'S (GENERATOR CTL UNITS). THE ACFT WAS STARTED AND BOTH GENERATORS WERE TESTED TO SEE IF THE L GENERATOR WOULD GO OFF THE LINE AGAIN. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO ADD A HIGHER ELECTRICAL LOAD TO THE SYS IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE GENERATOR WAS OPERATING PROPERLY. PAX WERE RE-BOARDED AND THE FLT CONTINUED TO PHOENIX. THE FLT WAS NORMAL AND UNEVENTFUL. THE ACFT WAS NOT WRITTEN UP AS IN THE LOG AS WE DID NOT FEEL THAT WE HAD A DISCREPANCY. WE FELT THAT THE LOWERING OF THE FLAPS TO 17 DEGS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE GCU TAKING THE GENERATOR OFF THE LINE. I HAD SEEN THIS DONE ONCE BEFORE BY A CAPT WHEN I WAS A FO AND IT WORKED. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS TYPE OF THING BEFORE AS A CAPT. THERE WAS NO FURTHER DISRUPTION OF ELECTRICAL PWR FROM THE GENERATOR FOR THE REMAINING 7 LEGS OF THE DAY.

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.