Air carrier light transport inadvertent in-flight engine shutdown, caused by first officer failure to visually identify proper switch.

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Attributes
ACN	103102
Time
Date	198902
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : obk
State Reference	IL
Altitude	msl bound lower : 7000 msl bound upper : 7000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	arrival other enroute airway : v84
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 216 flight time total : 1920 flight time type : 415
ASRS Report	103102
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

At 7000' inbound to ord we were correcting a minor 200# fuel imbalance via xfeed. Prior to descent I asked captain if we should terminate xfeed procedure. He replied yes, and I reached up to pull the xfeed level to off position. As I placed my hand on the xfeed level I noticed that one fuel boost pump remained in the off position. I took my hand off the xfeed lever, turned on the boost pump, but my hand back on what I thought was the xfeed lever, and moved it to the shut position. However, by mistake I had placed my hand on and shut the fuel lp valve, which shut the engine down (right engine). The proper shutdown and relight procedures were followed, and a relight was successful. No special ATC considerations were necessary, and the flight continued normally. My mistake was to not properly identify the proper lever before moving it. In this aircraft, the xfeed lever and the right lp valve are approximately the same length, and only 3-4' apart. They are located on the overhead panel and not in the line of sight. Moral: never move a lever or switch west/O first positively identing it, no matter how routine the procedure involved may be.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LTT INADVERTENT INFLT ENGINE SHUTDOWN, CAUSED BY FO FAILURE TO VISUALLY IDENTIFY PROPER SWITCH.

Narrative: AT 7000' INBND TO ORD WE WERE CORRECTING A MINOR 200# FUEL IMBALANCE VIA XFEED. PRIOR TO DSCNT I ASKED CAPT IF WE SHOULD TERMINATE XFEED PROC. HE REPLIED YES, AND I REACHED UP TO PULL THE XFEED LEVEL TO OFF POS. AS I PLACED MY HAND ON THE XFEED LEVEL I NOTICED THAT ONE FUEL BOOST PUMP REMAINED IN THE OFF POS. I TOOK MY HAND OFF THE XFEED LEVER, TURNED ON THE BOOST PUMP, BUT MY HAND BACK ON WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE XFEED LEVER, AND MOVED IT TO THE SHUT POS. HOWEVER, BY MISTAKE I HAD PLACED MY HAND ON AND SHUT THE FUEL LP VALVE, WHICH SHUT THE ENG DOWN (RIGHT ENG). THE PROPER SHUTDOWN AND RELIGHT PROCS WERE FOLLOWED, AND A RELIGHT WAS SUCCESSFUL. NO SPECIAL ATC CONSIDERATIONS WERE NECESSARY, AND THE FLT CONTINUED NORMALLY. MY MISTAKE WAS TO NOT PROPERLY IDENT THE PROPER LEVER BEFORE MOVING IT. IN THIS ACFT, THE XFEED LEVER AND THE RIGHT LP VALVE ARE APPROX THE SAME LENGTH, AND ONLY 3-4' APART. THEY ARE LOCATED ON THE OVERHEAD PANEL AND NOT IN THE LINE OF SIGHT. MORAL: NEVER MOVE A LEVER OR SWITCH W/O FIRST POSITIVELY IDENTING IT, NO MATTER HOW ROUTINE THE PROC INVOLVED MAY BE.

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.