An air carrier B727 crew reports that their brand new so inadvertently shut down an engine by turnin...

Attributes
ACN	345089
Time
Date	199608
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : ckb airport : pit
State Reference	WV
Altitude	msl bound lower : 22000 msl bound upper : 22000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zob
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : intermediate altitude other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	345089
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 85 flight time total : 3000 flight time type : 85
ASRS Report	345253
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

During climb passing FL220, #3 engine flamed out for no apparent reason. During the emergency action checklist, it became known that the flight engineer had mistakenly turned 'off' the fuel shutoff switch just prior to the flameout. Because of low oil pressure indications, I elected not to restart the engine, but to return to pit and land. We advised ATC of the engine shutdown. The engine #2 bus tie tripped open. Because of this malfunction on a different engine, I declared an emergency approximately 15 NM southeast of pit. ATC advised the 'equipment was standing by' and cleared us to land on runway 32. Landing uneventful. This was a brand new flight engineer, flying his first month on the line. His progress has been slow, and this aircraft is one of a handful of B727's at my air carrier that has a simple on/off toggle switch with a small metal guard on the fuel shutoff switch. This switch is in close proximity to identical boost pump switches used routinely to balance fuel. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the so got a week training in the simulator and another week line training with a check airman. He is still flying with the air carrier. This air carrier has 5 different configns of B727's which keeps crews busy. The captain thought about starting the engine, but he really wanted the so off of the aircraft, so he chose to divert/land. He flew the aircraft later that morning with another so.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR B727 CREW RPTS THAT THEIR BRAND NEW SO INADVERTENTLY SHUT DOWN AN ENG BY TURNING OFF THE FUEL SHUTOFF SWITCH. ERROR ADMITTED. FLC EXPERIENCE LEVEL BRAND NEW SO.

Narrative: DURING CLB PASSING FL220, #3 ENG FLAMED OUT FOR NO APPARENT REASON. DURING THE EMER ACTION CHKLIST, IT BECAME KNOWN THAT THE FE HAD MISTAKENLY TURNED 'OFF' THE FUEL SHUTOFF SWITCH JUST PRIOR TO THE FLAMEOUT. BECAUSE OF LOW OIL PRESSURE INDICATIONS, I ELECTED NOT TO RESTART THE ENG, BUT TO RETURN TO PIT AND LAND. WE ADVISED ATC OF THE ENG SHUTDOWN. THE ENG #2 BUS TIE TRIPPED OPEN. BECAUSE OF THIS MALFUNCTION ON A DIFFERENT ENG, I DECLARED AN EMER APPROX 15 NM SE OF PIT. ATC ADVISED THE 'EQUIP WAS STANDING BY' AND CLRED US TO LAND ON RWY 32. LNDG UNEVENTFUL. THIS WAS A BRAND NEW FE, FLYING HIS FIRST MONTH ON THE LINE. HIS PROGRESS HAS BEEN SLOW, AND THIS ACFT IS ONE OF A HANDFUL OF B727'S AT MY ACR THAT HAS A SIMPLE ON/OFF TOGGLE SWITCH WITH A SMALL METAL GUARD ON THE FUEL SHUTOFF SWITCH. THIS SWITCH IS IN CLOSE PROX TO IDENTICAL BOOST PUMP SWITCHES USED ROUTINELY TO BALANCE FUEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE SO GOT A WK TRAINING IN THE SIMULATOR AND ANOTHER WK LINE TRAINING WITH A CHK AIRMAN. HE IS STILL FLYING WITH THE ACR. THIS ACR HAS 5 DIFFERENT CONFIGNS OF B727'S WHICH KEEPS CREWS BUSY. THE CAPT THOUGHT ABOUT STARTING THE ENG, BUT HE REALLY WANTED THE SO OFF OF THE ACFT, SO HE CHOSE TO DIVERT/LAND. HE FLEW THE ACFT LATER THAT MORNING WITH ANOTHER SO.

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.

An air carrier B727 crew reports that their brand new so inadvertently shut down an engine by turning off the fuel shutoff switch. Error admitted. Flight crew experience level brand new so.