Narrative:

The aircraft was started at home base on a gpu. I asked for the after start checklist which the first officer went through quite fast; checking off the items at hand. After takeoff; I called for gear up; and while the gear retracted; the red light in the handle lit up. I told the first officer that we will level off at our assigned 3000 ft and 210 degree heading and run the checklist. We leveled off and switched to departure as he completed the checklist. Since we were IMC well before this time; I took the climb to 4000 ft and direct to our destination thinking that we can figure out the problem; and ask for a return if needed. At the time of leveloff the radios started to become scratchy and my first officer could no longer transmit with departure. I engaged the autoplt on a heading that I thought was direct and after a few mins of trying to communicate; we decided to squawk 7600. The autoplt kicked off; so I began to hand fly and noticed some flags on my side. I xferred controls to my first officer knowing his side was not electrical. At that time I noticed both generator lights on the bottom annunciator panel were lit and he pointed at the generator switches which I turned on. ATC told us to click the transmit button twice if we wanted to return; so I did. They told us to climb to 6000 ft and turn to a heading. Shortly after turning on the generators; power was restored and we were able to return to normal conditions communicating with ATC. We were given vectors to return to ZZZ. After a few mins of discussing the problem that was now under control; we decided to ask back to our destination. Again we were given direct; so I turned for the GPS for that information. The GPS showed a heading of 030 degrees and didn't seem correct. ATC asked what heading we were on; apparently not going direct. The first officer told departure that our GPS was inoperative; but could use the VOR. Departure gave us a heading and soon after; we were able to navigation without further incident. The main cause of this problem was not using the correct checklist on startup and being full aware of the indications on the annunciator pane. By using the engine starting external power checklist the left and right generators would have been turned on. I believe the contributing factors that day were we have never flown together before; and not being as vigilant as we should have been. After this flight; the first officer and I received additional training; and has taught me to make sure each item on the checklist has been said out loud and understood by both crewmembers.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE20 CREW FAILED TO SELECT THE GENERATORS ON FOLLOWING A GPU START. AFTER TKOF AN EMER WAS DECLARED BECAUSE OF LOST COM AND ELECTRICAL PWR.

Narrative: THE ACFT WAS STARTED AT HOME BASE ON A GPU. I ASKED FOR THE AFTER START CHKLIST WHICH THE FO WENT THROUGH QUITE FAST; CHKING OFF THE ITEMS AT HAND. AFTER TKOF; I CALLED FOR GEAR UP; AND WHILE THE GEAR RETRACTED; THE RED LIGHT IN THE HANDLE LIT UP. I TOLD THE FO THAT WE WILL LEVEL OFF AT OUR ASSIGNED 3000 FT AND 210 DEG HDG AND RUN THE CHKLIST. WE LEVELED OFF AND SWITCHED TO DEP AS HE COMPLETED THE CHKLIST. SINCE WE WERE IMC WELL BEFORE THIS TIME; I TOOK THE CLB TO 4000 FT AND DIRECT TO OUR DEST THINKING THAT WE CAN FIGURE OUT THE PROB; AND ASK FOR A RETURN IF NEEDED. AT THE TIME OF LEVELOFF THE RADIOS STARTED TO BECOME SCRATCHY AND MY FO COULD NO LONGER XMIT WITH DEP. I ENGAGED THE AUTOPLT ON A HDG THAT I THOUGHT WAS DIRECT AND AFTER A FEW MINS OF TRYING TO COMMUNICATE; WE DECIDED TO SQUAWK 7600. THE AUTOPLT KICKED OFF; SO I BEGAN TO HAND FLY AND NOTICED SOME FLAGS ON MY SIDE. I XFERRED CTLS TO MY FO KNOWING HIS SIDE WAS NOT ELECTRICAL. AT THAT TIME I NOTICED BOTH GENERATOR LIGHTS ON THE BOTTOM ANNUNCIATOR PANEL WERE LIT AND HE POINTED AT THE GENERATOR SWITCHES WHICH I TURNED ON. ATC TOLD US TO CLICK THE XMIT BUTTON TWICE IF WE WANTED TO RETURN; SO I DID. THEY TOLD US TO CLB TO 6000 FT AND TURN TO A HDG. SHORTLY AFTER TURNING ON THE GENERATORS; PWR WAS RESTORED AND WE WERE ABLE TO RETURN TO NORMAL CONDITIONS COMMUNICATING WITH ATC. WE WERE GIVEN VECTORS TO RETURN TO ZZZ. AFTER A FEW MINS OF DISCUSSING THE PROB THAT WAS NOW UNDER CTL; WE DECIDED TO ASK BACK TO OUR DEST. AGAIN WE WERE GIVEN DIRECT; SO I TURNED FOR THE GPS FOR THAT INFO. THE GPS SHOWED A HDG OF 030 DEGS AND DIDN'T SEEM CORRECT. ATC ASKED WHAT HDG WE WERE ON; APPARENTLY NOT GOING DIRECT. THE FO TOLD DEP THAT OUR GPS WAS INOP; BUT COULD USE THE VOR. DEP GAVE US A HDG AND SOON AFTER; WE WERE ABLE TO NAV WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THE MAIN CAUSE OF THIS PROB WAS NOT USING THE CORRECT CHKLIST ON STARTUP AND BEING FULL AWARE OF THE INDICATIONS ON THE ANNUNCIATOR PANE. BY USING THE ENG STARTING EXTERNAL POWER CHKLIST THE L AND R GENERATORS WOULD HAVE BEEN TURNED ON. I BELIEVE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS THAT DAY WERE WE HAVE NEVER FLOWN TOGETHER BEFORE; AND NOT BEING AS VIGILANT AS WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN. AFTER THIS FLT; THE FO AND I RECEIVED ADDITIONAL TRAINING; AND HAS TAUGHT ME TO MAKE SURE EACH ITEM ON THE CHKLIST HAS BEEN SAID OUT LOUD AND UNDERSTOOD BY BOTH CREWMEMBERS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.