Plain English Meaning

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.

Full 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.

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 “,” meaning the demand placed on something. In aircraft , “load” means electrical demand, not physical . “Generator” comes from a word meaning “to produce,” which because the generator produces electrical power for the aircraft.