Narrative:

During the return empty leg of a round-trip flight from ZZZ to ZZZ1 the PNF and I detected a noticeable vibration that we were able to identify as the right generator. With roughly less than 1 hour to touchdown at ZZZ an update of WX conditions at the airport were made and determined to be VMC; reaffirming ZZZ as a suitable destination with an inoperable generator backed up with an operable APU generator. Previous personal experience dictated the need for slow and gentle changes in power to prevent catastrophic failure or shaft shear of the generator while it was still activated/on/engaged prior to transitioning to the APU generator at a lower altitude. Our descent and transition to the APU generator occurred prior to any initial indication from ATC of delays or holding for ZZZ. At or close to FL210; the typical inbound altitude for ZZZ; we were advised by center ATC that holding instructions were forthcoming. At this same time; we were hearing other aircraft assigned holding with efc's that were 45 mins in the future. We initially accepted our holding clearance; programmed the FMS for the hold and turned what seemed close to 60 degrees left and proceeded. The record of our flight track confirms the magnitude of the turn. The FMS was showing a near 'min-fuel' situation at destination with the hold programmed; a concern we communicated to the center controller; along with the situation with our failed generator and the alternate confign of the APU to provide generated power. The center controller indicated to us that approach was not being very cooperative and that unless we were in an emergency situation; we would be required to hold. I asked him for a phone number and he provided a number I called from the flight phone and discussed our situation in detail with who I believe was one of the controllers I had been talking to on the radio. He was very helpful and accommodating. I indicated to him that while we had deactivated the right generator with no complications and transitioned to APU power; it was a backup confign not meant for normal operation. The confign didn't constitute an emergency; but it also wasn't normal and judgement at that point dictated proceeding without holding would be far more prudent. It is also important to note the holding pattern we were cleared to was substantially north of our filed route; adding substantial unplanned distance as well as holding delay to our flight. WX conditions at altitude at the time would put us in IMC condition for the hold as opposed to simply transition from VMC on top to a visual approach at the airport. At about this point in the phone conversation; another conversation in the background was occurring with who I believe to be a center watch supervisor in a somewhat heated discussion with who I believed to be approach control. The conversation was not returning clearance to expedite us without holding to ZZZ. The watch supervisor told the person I was talking to that he was declaring our emergency for us and the controller was to clear us on in and approach would have to deal with us. I sensed the watch supervisor was frustrated with approach and not us as confirmed by the individual I was speaking with and his indication that this was 'an ATC issue and not ours.' we proceeded without event and landed visually at ZZZ.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BAE 800XP FLT CREW EXPERIENCED R GENERATOR VIBRATION ALONG WITH FUEL CONCERNS; ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO DEST; DUE TO REQUIRED HOLDING/DELAYS ATC DECLARED EMER FOR ACFT.

Narrative: DURING THE RETURN EMPTY LEG OF A ROUND-TRIP FLT FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1 THE PNF AND I DETECTED A NOTICEABLE VIBRATION THAT WE WERE ABLE TO IDENT AS THE R GENERATOR. WITH ROUGHLY LESS THAN 1 HR TO TOUCHDOWN AT ZZZ AN UPDATE OF WX CONDITIONS AT THE ARPT WERE MADE AND DETERMINED TO BE VMC; REAFFIRMING ZZZ AS A SUITABLE DEST WITH AN INOPERABLE GENERATOR BACKED UP WITH AN OPERABLE APU GENERATOR. PREVIOUS PERSONAL EXPERIENCE DICTATED THE NEED FOR SLOW AND GENTLE CHANGES IN PWR TO PREVENT CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OR SHAFT SHEAR OF THE GENERATOR WHILE IT WAS STILL ACTIVATED/ON/ENGAGED PRIOR TO TRANSITIONING TO THE APU GENERATOR AT A LOWER ALT. OUR DSCNT AND TRANSITION TO THE APU GENERATOR OCCURRED PRIOR TO ANY INITIAL INDICATION FROM ATC OF DELAYS OR HOLDING FOR ZZZ. AT OR CLOSE TO FL210; THE TYPICAL INBOUND ALT FOR ZZZ; WE WERE ADVISED BY CTR ATC THAT HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS WERE FORTHCOMING. AT THIS SAME TIME; WE WERE HEARING OTHER ACFT ASSIGNED HOLDING WITH EFC'S THAT WERE 45 MINS IN THE FUTURE. WE INITIALLY ACCEPTED OUR HOLDING CLRNC; PROGRAMMED THE FMS FOR THE HOLD AND TURNED WHAT SEEMED CLOSE TO 60 DEGS L AND PROCEEDED. THE RECORD OF OUR FLT TRACK CONFIRMS THE MAGNITUDE OF THE TURN. THE FMS WAS SHOWING A NEAR 'MIN-FUEL' SIT AT DEST WITH THE HOLD PROGRAMMED; A CONCERN WE COMMUNICATED TO THE CTR CTLR; ALONG WITH THE SIT WITH OUR FAILED GENERATOR AND THE ALTERNATE CONFIGN OF THE APU TO PROVIDE GENERATED PWR. THE CTR CTLR INDICATED TO US THAT APCH WAS NOT BEING VERY COOPERATIVE AND THAT UNLESS WE WERE IN AN EMER SIT; WE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO HOLD. I ASKED HIM FOR A PHONE NUMBER AND HE PROVIDED A NUMBER I CALLED FROM THE FLT PHONE AND DISCUSSED OUR SIT IN DETAIL WITH WHO I BELIEVE WAS ONE OF THE CTLRS I HAD BEEN TALKING TO ON THE RADIO. HE WAS VERY HELPFUL AND ACCOMMODATING. I INDICATED TO HIM THAT WHILE WE HAD DEACTIVATED THE R GENERATOR WITH NO COMPLICATIONS AND TRANSITIONED TO APU PWR; IT WAS A BACKUP CONFIGN NOT MEANT FOR NORMAL OP. THE CONFIGN DIDN'T CONSTITUTE AN EMER; BUT IT ALSO WASN'T NORMAL AND JUDGEMENT AT THAT POINT DICTATED PROCEEDING WITHOUT HOLDING WOULD BE FAR MORE PRUDENT. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THE HOLDING PATTERN WE WERE CLRED TO WAS SUBSTANTIALLY N OF OUR FILED RTE; ADDING SUBSTANTIAL UNPLANNED DISTANCE AS WELL AS HOLDING DELAY TO OUR FLT. WX CONDITIONS AT ALT AT THE TIME WOULD PUT US IN IMC CONDITION FOR THE HOLD AS OPPOSED TO SIMPLY TRANSITION FROM VMC ON TOP TO A VISUAL APCH AT THE ARPT. AT ABOUT THIS POINT IN THE PHONE CONVERSATION; ANOTHER CONVERSATION IN THE BACKGROUND WAS OCCURRING WITH WHO I BELIEVE TO BE A CTR WATCH SUPVR IN A SOMEWHAT HEATED DISCUSSION WITH WHO I BELIEVED TO BE APCH CTL. THE CONVERSATION WAS NOT RETURNING CLRNC TO EXPEDITE US WITHOUT HOLDING TO ZZZ. THE WATCH SUPVR TOLD THE PERSON I WAS TALKING TO THAT HE WAS DECLARING OUR EMER FOR US AND THE CTLR WAS TO CLR US ON IN AND APCH WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH US. I SENSED THE WATCH SUPVR WAS FRUSTRATED WITH APCH AND NOT US AS CONFIRMED BY THE INDIVIDUAL I WAS SPEAKING WITH AND HIS INDICATION THAT THIS WAS 'AN ATC ISSUE AND NOT OURS.' WE PROCEEDED WITHOUT EVENT AND LANDED VISUALLY AT ZZZ.

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.