Narrative:

Upon arriving at ord, initiated the parking checklist. The brakes were parking, seat belt sign turned off, APU power verified established and the right engine shut down. Each of these items were verbally confirmed as they were accomplished. I then called for the parking checklist. The first officer began with the next item, anti-collision lights. Standard procedure calls for the checklist to be started at this time, but from the beginning. This distracted my thought pattern as I continued to complete the parking checklist with the first officer. In doing so, I inadvertently failed to shut down the left engine. By not going through the checklist from top to bottom, the first officer never called for 'fuel levers,' and assumed that I had shut down the left engine. West/O realizing it was still running we both left the aircraft after the passenger had deplaned and continued to our connecting flight for our outbnd leg. Standard procedure calls for the first 5 items to be accomplished then call for the checklist, which is to be started from the beginning. I made the mistake of not shutting down the left engine before calling for the checklist and the first officer failed to start out the beginning and was not verifying the accomplishment of the items. First officer had about 300 hours and less than 1 yr on this equipment. I would recommend that the checklist be read from the beginning upon parking the brakes, instead of after accomplishing the first 5 items. Also the reemphasis of standard procedures is very important. I realize the seriousness of this situation and accept responsibility for it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW PARKING MLG, DEPARTED ACFT WITH LEFT ENGINE STILL RUNNING.

Narrative: UPON ARRIVING AT ORD, INITIATED THE PARKING CHKLIST. THE BRAKES WERE PARKING, SEAT BELT SIGN TURNED OFF, APU PWR VERIFIED ESTABLISHED AND THE RIGHT ENG SHUT DOWN. EACH OF THESE ITEMS WERE VERBALLY CONFIRMED AS THEY WERE ACCOMPLISHED. I THEN CALLED FOR THE PARKING CHKLIST. THE F/O BEGAN WITH THE NEXT ITEM, ANTI-COLLISION LIGHTS. STANDARD PROC CALLS FOR THE CHKLIST TO BE STARTED AT THIS TIME, BUT FROM THE BEGINNING. THIS DISTRACTED MY THOUGHT PATTERN AS I CONTINUED TO COMPLETE THE PARKING CHKLIST WITH THE F/O. IN DOING SO, I INADVERTENTLY FAILED TO SHUT DOWN THE LEFT ENG. BY NOT GOING THROUGH THE CHKLIST FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, THE F/O NEVER CALLED FOR 'FUEL LEVERS,' AND ASSUMED THAT I HAD SHUT DOWN THE LEFT ENG. W/O REALIZING IT WAS STILL RUNNING WE BOTH LEFT THE ACFT AFTER THE PAX HAD DEPLANED AND CONTINUED TO OUR CONNECTING FLT FOR OUR OUTBND LEG. STANDARD PROC CALLS FOR THE FIRST 5 ITEMS TO BE ACCOMPLISHED THEN CALL FOR THE CHKLIST, WHICH IS TO BE STARTED FROM THE BEGINNING. I MADE THE MISTAKE OF NOT SHUTTING DOWN THE LEFT ENG BEFORE CALLING FOR THE CHKLIST AND THE F/O FAILED TO START OUT THE BEGINNING AND WAS NOT VERIFYING THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE ITEMS. F/O HAD ABOUT 300 HRS AND LESS THAN 1 YR ON THIS EQUIP. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT THE CHKLIST BE READ FROM THE BEGINNING UPON PARKING THE BRAKES, INSTEAD OF AFTER ACCOMPLISHING THE FIRST 5 ITEMS. ALSO THE REEMPHASIS OF STANDARD PROCS IS VERY IMPORTANT. I REALIZE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS SITUATION AND ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR IT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.