But by slightly altering the circumstances it could all of a sudden be good decision making:
When the generator quit they were probably flying over some very high mountains in the Rockies (as there's no way around that in Colorado). Their destination on the other hand, South Dakota, is flat as a pancake. Now, let's say they diverted and let themselves down through the clouds immediately, above all these very high mountains. Yes, they would still have juice in the batteries, but how long would that last with the pitot heat on for de-icing? Not long. Now, where would you rather be - over the Rocky Mountains or South Dakota in that scenario?
Or what if the battery itself had died and shorted?
If both of these scenarios had been the case, they did the right thing. So it's not always an automatic that you divert when the generator light comes on. It depends on the circumstance.
Last edited by AdamFrisch; 5th July 2012 at 17:17.