An air carrier medium large transport flew with only one alternator.

Attributes
ACN	265606
Time
Date	199403
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : acv
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Special VFR
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sna
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 5200 flight time type : 1300
ASRS Report	265606
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Started engines on first flight of the day and the right generator would not come on line. Tried resetting with no success. All other engine and constant speed drive indications were normal. The APU was still online and supplying power to the right bus. As there was no maintenance available at this airport, and I figured we were en route at this point, I decided to continue to our destination. The flight was uneventful with all CSD indications remaining normal. On arrival, we discovered that the CSD had lost almost all its oil when the generator CSD connection had sheared. Although this posed no threat to the safety of the flight, it was obviously a bad decision to continue on without knowing the exact reason for the generator not coming online. I had assumed it was a generator or feeder fault, not a mechanical failure. In the future, I will not make such an assumption and will return to the ramp to determine the problem before continuing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG FLEW WITH ONLY ONE ALTERNATOR.

Narrative: STARTED ENGS ON FIRST FLT OF THE DAY AND THE R GENERATOR WOULD NOT COME ON LINE. TRIED RESETTING WITH NO SUCCESS. ALL OTHER ENG AND CONSTANT SPD DRIVE INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. THE APU WAS STILL ONLINE AND SUPPLYING PWR TO THE R BUS. AS THERE WAS NO MAINT AVAILABLE AT THIS ARPT, AND I FIGURED WE WERE ENRTE AT THIS POINT, I DECIDED TO CONTINUE TO OUR DEST. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL WITH ALL CSD INDICATIONS REMAINING NORMAL. ON ARR, WE DISCOVERED THAT THE CSD HAD LOST ALMOST ALL ITS OIL WHEN THE GENERATOR CSD CONNECTION HAD SHEARED. ALTHOUGH THIS POSED NO THREAT TO THE SAFETY OF THE FLT, IT WAS OBVIOUSLY A BAD DECISION TO CONTINUE ON WITHOUT KNOWING THE EXACT REASON FOR THE GENERATOR NOT COMING ONLINE. I HAD ASSUMED IT WAS A GENERATOR OR FEEDER FAULT, NOT A MECHANICAL FAILURE. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL NOT MAKE SUCH AN ASSUMPTION AND WILL RETURN TO THE RAMP TO DETERMINE THE PROB BEFORE CONTINUING.

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.