Incident Description
While in flight, the captain heard a loud popping sound. This was accompanied by an interruption on the electrical panel, and the illumination of the right-side 'BUS OFF' and 'GEN OFF BUS' lights. No generator amperage or frequency readings were observed. A faint odor of smoke was noticed. The captain started the auxiliary power unit (APU) and connected the APU generator to the right side, which extinguished the 'BUS OFF' light. Within approximately one minute, the smoke level increased. The captain then removed the APU and called for the electrical smoke and fire checklist.
Emergency Landing and Evacuation
The aircraft performed an emergency landing. During the landing roll, all four main landing gear tires failed. After the aircraft came to a stop, the crew and passengers executed an emergency evacuation.
Investigation Findings
Inspection of the aircraft revealed that a failure occurred within the generator control unit, specifically in a capacitor installed in the circuit. The failure of the #2 generator control unit rendered the anti-skid system inoperative, which resulted in the tire failures during the landing.