CL-65 flight crew reported a generator control unit failed and caught fire after takeoff. The pilots safely returned to the field.
Synopsis
CL-65 flight crew reported a generator control unit failed and caught fire after takeoff. The pilots safely returned to the field.
Narrative
Taxied out and got a gen 2 off caution; reset the gen and all was good. Taxied onto runway and received gen off caution again. I reached up and reset the incorrect gen and the power went off momentarily for 1 second. That caused our IRS to reset so we elected to pull off the runway and let them reset. During that time I reset the number 2 generator again and all was fine. I elected to start the APU just in case the generator decided to kick off again in the air. I had flown this aircraft last week and was aware of the generator issue but following the QRH if it resets it's good to go. We proceeded to takeoff and above 80 knots received an aircraft service bus caution. I elected to continue the takeoff. The message went away and at about 1500 ft. a battery charger caution appeared. At about 3000 ft. the service bus caution returned and we started to smell an electrical burning smell. I looked at the electrical page and saw that the aircraft bus 2 was being powered. Moments later the burning smell in creased and the ac bus shed its load entirely. At that point I told ATC that we needed to return to the field immediately. We [requested priority] for a possible fire. We descended quickly back towards Runway XXL after completing the QRH procedure. We landed and taxied to the gate without incident. Upon maintenance inspection a circuit board shorted out and then stated the [circuit breaker] on fire.
Second reporter narrative
We taxied out to Runway XXL with no incident; as we lined up on Runway XXL we got a Gen 2 off" caution message. The Captain reached up and accidentally reset gen 1 which caused our (Inertial Reference System) IRS to reset and needed to be re aligned. We taxied off the runway onto the taxiway to allow our IRS to reset. During this time the Captain reset gen 2 (which caused the message to disappear) and started the APU. He also told me that he flew the same aircraft last week and it did the same thing to him. We lined up again Runway XXL and on our take off roll we received an "aircraft service bus" caution message; the captain told me to continue and I did. After takeoff at approximately 1500 ft. we could smell some sort of electrical burning and we [requested priority] to return to ZZZ. We landed on Runway XXL and taxied to the gate without incident. After maintenance inspection we saw that [circuit breaker] was burnt and inoperative."
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.