Regional Jet 700 ER/LR (CRJ700)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Time Pressure; Situational Awareness; Distraction; Training / Qualification; Confusion
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Became Reoriented; Flight Crew FLC complied w / Automation / Advisory; Flight Crew Took Evasive Action
Aircraft; Chart Or Publication; Procedure; Human Factors
While on the arrival into IAD we got a GEN 2 OFF master caution message.  My First Officer (FO) was pilot flying.  I told him he had the radios and then looked up GEN 2 OFF. The procedure in the QRH had me select the generator to OFF/RESET then AUTO.  Looking at EICAS I was hoping to see the GEN 2 OFF message extinguish.  Instead both EICAS displays filled up with messages and the ADG deployed.  After a few moments of processing what had happened I looked up and found my hand on GEN switch 1.  Power was restored to both generators.  The APU was started in case GEN 2 should fail again.  ATC was informed but an emergency was not declared as power was restored.Looking back I should have slowed down and gotten confirmation from my FO that I had the correct switch and not be in such a hurry to complete the checklist.QRH improvement for GEN 2 OFF.1. If APU is available for use....START    (If the APU generator is running and a pilot accidentally switches off the wrong generator; there will be no interruption to electrical power and the ADG will not deploy.)2.  Affected generator switch.....CONFIRM then OFF/RESET then AUTO     The preface in the QRH mentions that thrust levers and guarded switches should be confirmed before moving or selecting. When a pilot is using the QRH in flight (s)he is not reading the preface.  They are using a checklist in the QRH to troubleshoot or solve a problem.  Seems the word confirm should be used in the checklist since that is what the pilot is reading.
A CRJ-700 GEN 2 Master Caution alerted so the Captain; with the QRH; began the Reset procedure but turned GEN 1 OFF. GEN 1 was quickly re-establish now with the ADG deployed. Both generators were eventually re-established.