Definition
A condition in which the electrical demand placed on a remaining generator (or generators) exceeds its rated output capacity, typically occurring after one generator has failed and the surviving generator is asked to power loads that were previously shared. Sustained overloading can cause the generator to overheat, trip offline, or fail, leaving the aircraft on battery power alone.
Plain English
Asking the generator that is still working to produce more electrical power than it is built to handle. This usually happens after one generator quits and everything that used to be split between two is now drawn from one.
Context Anchor
Seen in generator failure procedures, especially when a pilot must turn off nonessential electrical equipment after one generator has failed.
Derivation
“Overload” combines “over,” meaning too much, with “load,” meaning the demand placed on something. In aircraft electrical systems, “load” means electrical demand, not physical weight. “Generator” comes from a word meaning “to produce,” which fits because the generator produces electrical power for the aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
Continuing to draw full electrical loads after a generator failure can cause the remaining generator to overheat and fail, resulting in total loss of electrical power.
Analogy
It is like plugging too many devices into one small power source. The problem is not that the devices are wrong; the problem is that the power source is being asked to supply more than it can handle.
Grounding Statement
After a generator failure, the remaining electrical power must be managed so the working generator is not asked to carry too much.
Intuition Check
“Load” does not mean cargo weight here. It means electrical demand from equipment that is turned on.
Example Sentence 1
After the left generator failed, the crew shed non-essential loads to avoid overloading the operating generator.
Example Sentence 2
Following the generator failure procedure, the crew shed loads quickly rather than risk overloading the operating generator.