B757 generator failure followed by cabin smoke and fumes and a return to land.

Attributes
ACN	490985
Time
Date	200011
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mia.airport
State Reference	FL
Altitude	msl single value : 11000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma.artcc tower : jfk.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	climbout : vacating altitude
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	490985
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other anomaly
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : eicas other other : cab 3
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

While climbing through 11000 ft after departing mia, we had a left generator failure with associated load shed. Shortly afterward, flight attendant xyz came to the flight deck and reported that all the reading lights went out and there was a smell of burning wires in the cabin. I elected not to try a reset of the left generator as described in the generator failure checklist due to the smell of burning wire. ATC was notified of the situation and an emergency was declared. We landed at mia and taxied to the gate without incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: maintenance found a lug broken in the integrated drive generator that caused a short with resulting loss of the generator. There was no explanation for the cabin fumes. The loss of lighting was normal with the load shedding that took place.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 GENERATOR FAILURE FOLLOWED BY CABIN SMOKE AND FUMES AND A RETURN TO LAND.

Narrative: WHILE CLBING THROUGH 11000 FT AFTER DEPARTING MIA, WE HAD A L GENERATOR FAILURE WITH ASSOCIATED LOAD SHED. SHORTLY AFTERWARD, FLT ATTENDANT XYZ CAME TO THE FLT DECK AND RPTED THAT ALL THE READING LIGHTS WENT OUT AND THERE WAS A SMELL OF BURNING WIRES IN THE CABIN. I ELECTED NOT TO TRY A RESET OF THE L GENERATOR AS DESCRIBED IN THE GENERATOR FAILURE CHKLIST DUE TO THE SMELL OF BURNING WIRE. ATC WAS NOTIFIED OF THE SIT AND AN EMER WAS DECLARED. WE LANDED AT MIA AND TAXIED TO THE GATE WITHOUT INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: MAINT FOUND A LUG BROKEN IN THE INTEGRATED DRIVE GENERATOR THAT CAUSED A SHORT WITH RESULTING LOSS OF THE GENERATOR. THERE WAS NO EXPLANATION FOR THE CABIN FUMES. THE LOSS OF LIGHTING WAS NORMAL WITH THE LOAD SHEDDING THAT TOOK PLACE.

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.