Narrative:

Aircraft taxied to gate. APU was MEL'ed inoperative. Right engine was left running to provide electrical power, because ground power could not be immediately established. Passenger deplaned and ground power was established. First officer left flight deck to perform walkaround. Captain moved fuel lever of right engine to shutoff position. Captain was in a hurry to catch a departing flight home and vacated the flight deck. Captain did not notice that engine was still running. Flight deck was vacant for several mins until first officer noticed engine was running on his walkaround and returned to flight deck about the same time as the incoming crew also entered the flight deck. Fortunately, brakes were set and aircraft was chocked so the aircraft did not move! Obviously, a dangerous situation! In looking back, I believe this situation was caused by several factors. First, an unusual or out-of-the-ordinary situation (no APU or ground power). Second, hurry to leave aircraft to get home. Third, failure to complete the shutdown checklist carefully. Contributing to this incident is the design of the power/thrust lever in the crj. The shutoff position is a very small movement of the lever once a release has been lifted. It is possible to lift the release and move the lever, yet not move it far enough against some resistance to shut off engine. Also, first officer, in his willingness to help, did not prepare me to note all the clues that engine was not shut down. I always go slow now! And perform checklists deliberately and doublechk engine gauges to be sure of engine shutdown.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ENG LEFT RUNNING AFTER FLT. DISCOVERED WHEN WALKAROUND WAS COMMENCED AND NEXT CREW ARRIVED.

Narrative: ACFT TAXIED TO GATE. APU WAS MEL'ED INOP. R ENG WAS LEFT RUNNING TO PROVIDE ELECTRICAL PWR, BECAUSE GND PWR COULD NOT BE IMMEDIATELY ESTABLISHED. PAX DEPLANED AND GND PWR WAS ESTABLISHED. FO LEFT FLT DECK TO PERFORM WALKAROUND. CAPT MOVED FUEL LEVER OF R ENG TO SHUTOFF POS. CAPT WAS IN A HURRY TO CATCH A DEPARTING FLT HOME AND VACATED THE FLT DECK. CAPT DID NOT NOTICE THAT ENG WAS STILL RUNNING. FLT DECK WAS VACANT FOR SEVERAL MINS UNTIL FO NOTICED ENG WAS RUNNING ON HIS WALKAROUND AND RETURNED TO FLT DECK ABOUT THE SAME TIME AS THE INCOMING CREW ALSO ENTERED THE FLT DECK. FORTUNATELY, BRAKES WERE SET AND ACFT WAS CHOCKED SO THE ACFT DID NOT MOVE! OBVIOUSLY, A DANGEROUS SIT! IN LOOKING BACK, I BELIEVE THIS SIT WAS CAUSED BY SEVERAL FACTORS. FIRST, AN UNUSUAL OR OUT-OF-THE-ORDINARY SIT (NO APU OR GND PWR). SECOND, HURRY TO LEAVE ACFT TO GET HOME. THIRD, FAILURE TO COMPLETE THE SHUTDOWN CHKLIST CAREFULLY. CONTRIBUTING TO THIS INCIDENT IS THE DESIGN OF THE PWR/THRUST LEVER IN THE CRJ. THE SHUTOFF POS IS A VERY SMALL MOVEMENT OF THE LEVER ONCE A RELEASE HAS BEEN LIFTED. IT IS POSSIBLE TO LIFT THE RELEASE AND MOVE THE LEVER, YET NOT MOVE IT FAR ENOUGH AGAINST SOME RESISTANCE TO SHUT OFF ENG. ALSO, FO, IN HIS WILLINGNESS TO HELP, DID NOT PREPARE ME TO NOTE ALL THE CLUES THAT ENG WAS NOT SHUT DOWN. I ALWAYS GO SLOW NOW! AND PERFORM CHKLISTS DELIBERATELY AND DOUBLECHK ENG GAUGES TO BE SURE OF ENG SHUTDOWN.

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.