A DC8 RPTS THE LOSS OF #2 GEN AFTER TKOF RESULTING IN ALL OF THE CAPT'S FLT INSTRUMENTS AND SOME FO FLT INSTRUMENTS FAILING.

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IMMEDIATELY UPON ROTATION; WE HAD A #2 BUS POWER FAIL AND #2 UNPARALLEL LIGHT AND THE L EMER BUS FAIL. WE LOST ALL THE CAPT'S INSTRUMENTATION AND PARTIAL FO INSTRUMENTS AND THE AUTOPLT. I; THE FO TOOK OVER FLYING DUTIES WHILE THE CAPT RAN CHKLIST WITH THE ENGINEER. I LEVELED OFF AT 5000 FT AND NOTIFIED ATC WE NEEDED TO STAY AT 5000 FT; AND GET VECTORS AROUND ZZZ FOR POSSIBLE RETURN TO ZZZ. WHILE BEING VECTORED; THE CTLR WANTED US TO TURN TO A 010 DEG HEADING. A FEW MINS LATER WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN TO 010 DEGS AT A MINIMUM BANK ANGLE DUE TO LACK OF INSTRUMENTATION; THE CTLR TOLD US WE WERE FLYING EBND; AND THAT SHE TOLD US TO FLY 010 DEGS. AT THAT POINT WE DISCOVERED ALL THE FO INSTRUMENTATION WAS FAULTY. WE COULD SEE THE ARPT AND ORIENTED OURSELVES WITH THE ARPT AND BEGAN USING THE WHISKEY COMPASS AND STANDBY ATTITUDE INDICATOR ONLY. EVENTUALLY WE WERE ABLE TO GET ALL INSTRUMENTATION BACK AND CONTINUE OUR FLT. UPON MAINT INSPECTION; IT WAS DISCOVERED THERE WAS SOME MIS-WIRING OF THE FLT INSTRUMENTS. THE FO SIDE INSTRUMENTS SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN AFFECTED.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 735935: THE NEXT SEVERAL MINS OF THE FLT WERE FLOWN ON STANDBY INSTRUMENTS (ATTITUDE AND WET COMPASS) UNTIL THE PROB WAS RESOLVED AND THE FLT CONTINUED TO THE DEST. OUR INITIAL RESPONSE TO THE ABNORMALITY WAS GOOD. HOWEVER; ACFT CTL; CHKLIST COMPLETION AND ATC COM SUFFERED UNTIL PROPER RADIO CONFIGURATION WAS ESTABLISHED. THE FO'S SPEAKER WAS TURNED ON SO THE REST OF THE CREW COULD HEAR ATC. BECAUSE OF THIS INITIAL CONFUSION; THE FO WAS FLYING PLT AND HANDLED THE RADIOS. ACFT MAINT CTL WAS ADVISED OF THE ABNORMALITY OF THE EVENT AND FOUND THE ACFT TO BE INCORRECTLY WIRED. CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN BY MAINT. IT IS MY OPINION THAT ALL DC8 ACFT SHOULD BE INSPECTED FOR THIS MIS-WIRING. IF VMC WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PREVALENT WITHIN MINS OF OUR DEST OUR ONLY OPTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO FLY AN ASR OR PAR APCH. SUCH AN EMER PROC SHOULD NOT BE REQUIRED TO RESOLVE A GENERATOR FAILURE ON A 4 ENGINE JET.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HIS ACR COMPLETED A MAJOR RETROFIT ON THEIR DC8 FLEET AND IT IS UNKNOWN WHETHER THIS ELECTRICAL WIRING ERROR IS PRESENT IN THE ENTIRE FLT OR CONFINED TO THIS ACFT. THE RPTR WAS TALKED WITH HIS ACR'S SAFETY DEPT; PLT'S SAFETY REP; AND MAINT PERSONNEL. ALL PARTIES AGREE ABOUT THE SEVERITY OF THIS ASSUMED MIS-WIRING. RPTR IS UNSURE IF ACR WILL PURSUE A FULL SCALE INVESTIGATION BECAUSE IT MAY NOT BE IN THEIR FINANCIAL INTERESTS TO DO SO.