A LEARJET 25 ON CLBOUT AT 15000 FT HAD THE L GENERATOR FAIL; OPENING THE 275 AMP LIMITER; DEPOWERING ALL L BUSSES; RESULTING IN LOSS OF COM.

Narrative

AFTER A FUEL STOP AT MCI (KANSAS CITY INTL); WE DEPARTED ON THE ROYAL 3 DEP PROC WITH THE JTHRO TRANSITION. TWR HAD CLRED US TO 15000 FT; RWY HEADING. DURING THE CLBOUT; THE CAPT TURNED ON THE FAN. AT THAT INSTANT THE L GENERATOR SPIKED (OVER VOLTAGE); THEREBY BLOWING THE 275 AMP CURRENT LIMITER. THE AUDIO PANEL FAILED; THE GYROSCOPES MOMENTARILY SHOWED FLAGS THEN RETURNED TO NORMAL (BOTH SIDES DISPLAYED FLAGS DUE TO THE SWITCHING OF THE STANDBY INVERTER TO THE PLTS INSTS); AND THE DME CIRCUIT BREAKER POPPED. I SAW AN ARC OF ELECTRICITY FROM THE CAPT'S HAND TO THE RADAR (THE SWITCH FOR THE FAN IS NEXT TO THE RADAR) WHEN EVERYTHING FAILED; AT THAT MOMENT I ALSO SAW THE RADAR SHUT OFF. WE WERE ON AN ASSIGNED RWY HEADING AND CONTINUED TO CLB TO 15000 FT. WE TURNED THE XPONDER ON TO 7600 TO ALERT DEP CTL THAT WE HAD LOST ALL COMS. THE CAPT DECIDED TO TURN TO INTERCEPT JTHRO INTXN. WE WERE ABOUT TO ENTER IMC AND WE INITIATED A DSCNT TO MAINTAIN VMC AND ALSO RECODED THE XPONDER TO 1200 TO CONTINUE THE FLT UNDER VFR. WE CONTINUED DSNDING UNTIL WE WERE IN CELLULAR PHONE RANGE AND WAS ABLE TO ESTABLISH COMS WITH COLUMBIA FLT SVC STATION. WE INFORMED THEM OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND ASKED THEM TO RELAY OUR SIT AND IFR CANCELLATION TO ZKC AND MCI DEP. WE CONTACTED OUR DISPATCH AND INFORMED THEM OF THE SIT AND DECISION TO LAND AT PIA (PEORIA). THIS WAS NOT OUR INTENDED ARR ARPT; BUT WE DECIDED THIS WOULD BE THE MOST PRACTICABLE. THE CAPT ASKED OUR DISPATCH TO CONTACT PIA TWR TO INFORM THEM THAT WE WOULD BE ARRIVING WITHOUT RADIO COMS. HE WAS ALSO ABLE TO CONTACT PIA TWR AND ADVISE THEM OF OUR INTENDED ARR; AND WE LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE MAINT DEPT REPLACED THE 400 AMP STARTER-GENERATOR UNIT AND CHKED NORMAL.