Narrative:

While acting as flight engineer on an large transport in cruise flight at night, I started to set up a xfeed of fuel from tank B to engine #1. To do so, I closed #2 xfeed valve and opened #3 and then started to open #1 xfeed valve. In doing so, I knocked over a glass of water on the flight engineer's table. Before wiping up the spill I opened up the #1 xfeed valve, noting a blue 'valve in transit' light as I did so. All fuel tank boost pumps remained on as I cleaned up the spilt water. At this time a climb in cabin altitude and an illuminated #1 generator breaker light alerted me to the shutdown of engine #1. During the engine shutdown checklist I discovered that I had inadvertently closed the #1 engine fuel cutoff switch instead of opening the #1 xfeed valve as I intended. I believe the close proximity of the xfeed valve switch and the fuel cutoff switch, the same blue color of the 'valve in transit' lights for both switches, coupled with the distraction of the spilt water and darkened cockpit contributed to this incident. Although the fuel cutoff switches are guarded to prevent accidentally moving them by brushing against them, they are not positively guarded, such as the GPWS switch or the generator drive disconnect switches are. If these switches had been shear wired open, I don't believe the distraction would have caused me to make such a mistake. Also an orange or yellow lens cap for the fuel cut off 'valve in transit' light would have alerted me that it was not the 'usual' blue light that I always expected to see.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT INADVERTENT INFLT ENGINE SHUTDOWN DUE FUEL MISMANAGEMENT. DESCEND RESTART.

Narrative: WHILE ACTING AS FE ON AN LGT IN CRUISE FLT AT NIGHT, I STARTED TO SET UP A XFEED OF FUEL FROM TANK B TO ENGINE #1. TO DO SO, I CLOSED #2 XFEED VALVE AND OPENED #3 AND THEN STARTED TO OPEN #1 XFEED VALVE. IN DOING SO, I KNOCKED OVER A GLASS OF WATER ON THE FE'S TABLE. BEFORE WIPING UP THE SPILL I OPENED UP THE #1 XFEED VALVE, NOTING A BLUE 'VALVE IN TRANSIT' LIGHT AS I DID SO. ALL FUEL TANK BOOST PUMPS REMAINED ON AS I CLEANED UP THE SPILT WATER. AT THIS TIME A CLIMB IN CABIN ALT AND AN ILLUMINATED #1 GENERATOR BREAKER LIGHT ALERTED ME TO THE SHUTDOWN OF ENGINE #1. DURING THE ENGINE SHUTDOWN CHECKLIST I DISCOVERED THAT I HAD INADVERTENTLY CLOSED THE #1 ENGINE FUEL CUTOFF SWITCH INSTEAD OF OPENING THE #1 XFEED VALVE AS I INTENDED. I BELIEVE THE CLOSE PROX OF THE XFEED VALVE SWITCH AND THE FUEL CUTOFF SWITCH, THE SAME BLUE COLOR OF THE 'VALVE IN TRANSIT' LIGHTS FOR BOTH SWITCHES, COUPLED WITH THE DISTR OF THE SPILT WATER AND DARKENED COCKPIT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS INCIDENT. ALTHOUGH THE FUEL CUTOFF SWITCHES ARE GUARDED TO PREVENT ACCIDENTALLY MOVING THEM BY BRUSHING AGAINST THEM, THEY ARE NOT POSITIVELY GUARDED, SUCH AS THE GPWS SWITCH OR THE GENERATOR DRIVE DISCONNECT SWITCHES ARE. IF THESE SWITCHES HAD BEEN SHEAR WIRED OPEN, I DON'T BELIEVE THE DISTR WOULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO MAKE SUCH A MISTAKE. ALSO AN ORANGE OR YELLOW LENS CAP FOR THE FUEL CUT OFF 'VALVE IN TRANSIT' LIGHT WOULD HAVE ALERTED ME THAT IT WAS NOT THE 'USUAL' BLUE LIGHT THAT I ALWAYS EXPECTED TO SEE.

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.