Narrative:

I and the first officer were assigned to deadhead atl to tpa to test fly an large transport in the tpa area and deadhead back to atl. Only after reaching the aircraft for preflight at about XA30 EST did we learn of the extensive test profile to be flown which included engine shutdowns and restarts. We were also asked by a company rep to land in atl rather than tpa as scheduled so the aircraft could go into immediate passenger service. Clearance delivery was unable to assign a test area or block altitude. I elected to perform the test profile items en route to atl. During the engine shutdown/restart, which on the large transport includes cycling the fuel cutoff lever to run for 30 seconds and back to cutoff to recycle the eec to its primary channel, with 1 engine shutdown. I inadvertently moved the fuel level on the operating engine to cutoff shutting down the operating engine. I actuated this fuel lever thinking that I was resetting the eec on the engine that had been intentionally shut down. The first officer and I immediately selected flight ignition and successfully restated both engines. The flight test profile continued and was completed upon landing in atl. I feel that test flight safety and standardization can be improved by thoroughly briefing the crew prior to their arrival in the cockpit when they perform their preflight and cockpit preparation. Both pilots should have time to fully understand the test requirements and discuss critical maneuvers. There should be a designated test area and if possible a block altitude provision so that the PIC does not have to do a last minute negotiation with ATC. No implied time constraints should be placed on the PIC if the test profile is complex and is to be completed. Test flts should not be performed at night or in IFR conditions. Possibly there should be dedicated test crews, but in their absence the crew should have time and a briefing guide to use prior to arrival at the aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: report was made to the company and a letter reference the incident was put in his file. At no time was an emergency declared, first officer requested and was cleared to 12000'. No conflict. Strongly objects to line pilots performing these test flts west/O advance briefing as to what tests are to be performed. In the subject incident, the engine shutdown procedure calls for the fuel control lever to be positioned to run and then back to cutoff. This action permits the eec to recycle to the primary channel and then the engine can be restarted. It was during this time the wrong engine was selected to cutoff. Claims fatigue may have been a factor since he had completed a pilot chkride in the early morning hours and was alerted to plan the test flight that night. Admits this type of flying is volunteered and is a means of making extra money. Supplemental information from acn 100394: during left engine shutdown procedure, the right engine was also inadvertently shut down. Request to lower altitude requested and granted (12000'). Both engines restarted with aircraft leveling off at 12000'. Recommendations: use only qualified test crews; conduct in day/VFR conditions only; and in briefing, designate one person to fly, one person to read checklist and one person to move switches/levers. Develop flight oriented test procedures manual.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TEST FLT REQUIRING BOTH ENGINES BE SHUT DOWN IN FLT. INADVERTENTLY SHUT DOWN BOTH ENGINES AT SAME TIME.

Narrative: I AND THE F/O WERE ASSIGNED TO DEADHEAD ATL TO TPA TO TEST FLY AN LGT IN THE TPA AREA AND DEADHEAD BACK TO ATL. ONLY AFTER REACHING THE ACFT FOR PREFLT AT ABOUT XA30 EST DID WE LEARN OF THE EXTENSIVE TEST PROFILE TO BE FLOWN WHICH INCLUDED ENG SHUTDOWNS AND RESTARTS. WE WERE ALSO ASKED BY A COMPANY REP TO LAND IN ATL RATHER THAN TPA AS SCHEDULED SO THE ACFT COULD GO INTO IMMEDIATE PAX SVC. CLRNC DELIVERY WAS UNABLE TO ASSIGN A TEST AREA OR BLOCK ALT. I ELECTED TO PERFORM THE TEST PROFILE ITEMS ENRTE TO ATL. DURING THE ENG SHUTDOWN/RESTART, WHICH ON THE LGT INCLUDES CYCLING THE FUEL CUTOFF LEVER TO RUN FOR 30 SECS AND BACK TO CUTOFF TO RECYCLE THE EEC TO ITS PRIMARY CHANNEL, WITH 1 ENG SHUTDOWN. I INADVERTENTLY MOVED THE FUEL LEVEL ON THE OPERATING ENG TO CUTOFF SHUTTING DOWN THE OPERATING ENG. I ACTUATED THIS FUEL LEVER THINKING THAT I WAS RESETTING THE EEC ON THE ENG THAT HAD BEEN INTENTIONALLY SHUT DOWN. THE F/O AND I IMMEDIATELY SELECTED FLT IGNITION AND SUCCESSFULLY RESTATED BOTH ENGS. THE FLT TEST PROFILE CONTINUED AND WAS COMPLETED UPON LNDG IN ATL. I FEEL THAT TEST FLT SAFETY AND STANDARDIZATION CAN BE IMPROVED BY THOROUGHLY BRIEFING THE CREW PRIOR TO THEIR ARR IN THE COCKPIT WHEN THEY PERFORM THEIR PREFLT AND COCKPIT PREPARATION. BOTH PLTS SHOULD HAVE TIME TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE TEST REQUIREMENTS AND DISCUSS CRITICAL MANEUVERS. THERE SHOULD BE A DESIGNATED TEST AREA AND IF POSSIBLE A BLOCK ALT PROVISION SO THAT THE PIC DOES NOT HAVE TO DO A LAST MINUTE NEGOTIATION WITH ATC. NO IMPLIED TIME CONSTRAINTS SHOULD BE PLACED ON THE PIC IF THE TEST PROFILE IS COMPLEX AND IS TO BE COMPLETED. TEST FLTS SHOULD NOT BE PERFORMED AT NIGHT OR IN IFR CONDITIONS. POSSIBLY THERE SHOULD BE DEDICATED TEST CREWS, BUT IN THEIR ABSENCE THE CREW SHOULD HAVE TIME AND A BRIEFING GUIDE TO USE PRIOR TO ARR AT THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPT WAS MADE TO THE COMPANY AND A LETTER REF THE INCIDENT WAS PUT IN HIS FILE. AT NO TIME WAS AN EMER DECLARED, F/O REQUESTED AND WAS CLRED TO 12000'. NO CONFLICT. STRONGLY OBJECTS TO LINE PLTS PERFORMING THESE TEST FLTS W/O ADVANCE BRIEFING AS TO WHAT TESTS ARE TO BE PERFORMED. IN THE SUBJECT INCIDENT, THE ENG SHUTDOWN PROC CALLS FOR THE FUEL CONTROL LEVER TO BE POSITIONED TO RUN AND THEN BACK TO CUTOFF. THIS ACTION PERMITS THE EEC TO RECYCLE TO THE PRIMARY CHANNEL AND THEN THE ENG CAN BE RESTARTED. IT WAS DURING THIS TIME THE WRONG ENG WAS SELECTED TO CUTOFF. CLAIMS FATIGUE MAY HAVE BEEN A FACTOR SINCE HE HAD COMPLETED A PLT CHKRIDE IN THE EARLY MORNING HRS AND WAS ALERTED TO PLAN THE TEST FLT THAT NIGHT. ADMITS THIS TYPE OF FLYING IS VOLUNTEERED AND IS A MEANS OF MAKING EXTRA MONEY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 100394: DURING LEFT ENG SHUTDOWN PROC, THE RIGHT ENG WAS ALSO INADVERTENTLY SHUT DOWN. REQUEST TO LOWER ALT REQUESTED AND GRANTED (12000'). BOTH ENGS RESTARTED WITH ACFT LEVELING OFF AT 12000'. RECOMMENDATIONS: USE ONLY QUALIFIED TEST CREWS; CONDUCT IN DAY/VFR CONDITIONS ONLY; AND IN BRIEFING, DESIGNATE ONE PERSON TO FLY, ONE PERSON TO READ CHKLIST AND ONE PERSON TO MOVE SWITCHES/LEVERS. DEVELOP FLT ORIENTED TEST PROCS MANUAL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.