B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Troubleshooting; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Weight And Balance
Flight Crew Landed in Emergency Condition; Flight Crew Returned To Departure Airport
Aircraft
Shortly after TO (Take Off) from runway XX in ZZZZ; the left generator failed. Accomplishing the checklist; reset was no help; and the APU was started. On the heels of finishing that checklist; the left generator drive light illuminated. We accomplished that checklist; and requested a holding pattern from ATC.After entering the hold; we consulted with dispatch and [Maintenance Control] via SAT phone. [Maintenance Control] suggested we MEL the item and continue. I declined that option; as; in my experience; the loss of an IDG (Integrated Drive Generator) is the result of either the under- or over-servicing of IDG oil. As serviced in tandem as they often are; the health of the right IDG was now suspect in my mind. The MEL itself requires that the APU oil quantity be full; and that the HMG (Hydraulic Motor Generator) is tested to verify it operates normally. I have no way; that I know of; of preforming that test; and; with the aircraft in flight; neither can maintenance. While these requirements are not mandatory after take-off; with seven more hours in the air; over [an ocean] and remote areas; I had no desire to discover myself with the right IDG failed; the not-full APU oil overheating--with the loss of that generator--only to find the HMG not functional! Worst case scenario; yes; but it's happened before. The decision was made to return to ZZZZ.While burning off fuel in the hold prior to landing; weather in the area began to build. Weighing the building weather against an overweight landing; we deemed the overweight landing the safer option. [We advised ATC]; dispatch notified; and; as an added precaution; we requested ATC have ARFF equipment standby. We accomplished the overweight landing checklist; including dispatch supplied landing data; with the landing itself; on runway XX; uneventful.
B757 Captain reported a left generator failure followed by a generator drive light; which resulted in a return to the departure airport.