Narrative:

After reduced rest, on last day of 4 day trip, returned to pgv airport for last leg to iad. Normal preflight and originating checklist completion. After checklist, had approximately 20 mins before scheduled departure. Operated switch on gear which allows override operation (was curious about its operation in case of emergency). Tried to return to normal position. Switch would not return to normal. Gear handle in down position throughout. No passenger on flight; decided to return to iad for mechanics inspection. Departure, en route, arrival at iad west/O incident; normal gear retraction and extension. Attempted en route to return switch to normal position. Switch would not return to normal. On 'in range' call to operations, notified operations we would need a mechanic on arrival. After shut down mechanic came on board. Related incident to mechanic. Mechanic decided to confer with supervisor before proceeding. Wrote in aircraft log 'gear override inadvertently selected' in discrepancy section. Secured aircraft and deplaned. Before leaving airport went to mechanics desk to verify nature of write-up. After describing incident was told 'we'll take care of it; no problem.' left airport; jumpseat home to phx. Message on arrival from first officer that there was a problem in iad, would call back. 3 days later was informed that first officer had a 'see me' note in personal file from our boss. Called boss from phx; was told I had been 'written up' and disciplinary action would be taken. Agreed to meeting to include boss and alpa rep. Current status: letter of counseling/reprimand and unpaid 'vacation' of 3 days. What I did was dumb, and brings to mind some 'truisms': if it's not broke, don't fix it; if you don't know what it is, don't mess with it; training can't/won't cover everything, however, it should cover everything in the cockpit.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 'FINGER TROUBLE' FOR COMMUTER PIC.

Narrative: AFTER REDUCED REST, ON LAST DAY OF 4 DAY TRIP, RETURNED TO PGV ARPT FOR LAST LEG TO IAD. NORMAL PREFLT AND ORIGINATING CHKLIST COMPLETION. AFTER CHKLIST, HAD APPROX 20 MINS BEFORE SCHEDULED DEP. OPERATED SWITCH ON GEAR WHICH ALLOWS OVERRIDE OPERATION (WAS CURIOUS ABOUT ITS OPERATION IN CASE OF EMER). TRIED TO RETURN TO NORMAL POS. SWITCH WOULD NOT RETURN TO NORMAL. GEAR HANDLE IN DOWN POS THROUGHOUT. NO PAX ON FLT; DECIDED TO RETURN TO IAD FOR MECHS INSPECTION. DEP, ENRTE, ARR AT IAD W/O INCIDENT; NORMAL GEAR RETRACTION AND EXTENSION. ATTEMPTED ENRTE TO RETURN SWITCH TO NORMAL POS. SWITCH WOULD NOT RETURN TO NORMAL. ON 'IN RANGE' CALL TO OPS, NOTIFIED OPS WE WOULD NEED A MECH ON ARR. AFTER SHUT DOWN MECH CAME ON BOARD. RELATED INCIDENT TO MECH. MECH DECIDED TO CONFER WITH SUPVR BEFORE PROCEEDING. WROTE IN ACFT LOG 'GEAR OVERRIDE INADVERTENTLY SELECTED' IN DISCREPANCY SECTION. SECURED ACFT AND DEPLANED. BEFORE LEAVING ARPT WENT TO MECHS DESK TO VERIFY NATURE OF WRITE-UP. AFTER DESCRIBING INCIDENT WAS TOLD 'WE'LL TAKE CARE OF IT; NO PROB.' LEFT ARPT; JUMPSEAT HOME TO PHX. MESSAGE ON ARR FROM F/O THAT THERE WAS A PROB IN IAD, WOULD CALL BACK. 3 DAYS LATER WAS INFORMED THAT F/O HAD A 'SEE ME' NOTE IN PERSONAL FILE FROM OUR BOSS. CALLED BOSS FROM PHX; WAS TOLD I HAD BEEN 'WRITTEN UP' AND DISCIPLINARY ACTION WOULD BE TAKEN. AGREED TO MEETING TO INCLUDE BOSS AND ALPA REP. CURRENT STATUS: LETTER OF COUNSELING/REPRIMAND AND UNPAID 'VACATION' OF 3 DAYS. WHAT I DID WAS DUMB, AND BRINGS TO MIND SOME 'TRUISMS': IF IT'S NOT BROKE, DON'T FIX IT; IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, DON'T MESS WITH IT; TRNING CAN'T/WON'T COVER EVERYTHING, HOWEVER, IT SHOULD COVER EVERYTHING IN THE COCKPIT.

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.