Narrative:

Captain and myself were #1 to land and had been cleared to land on runway 12R at ZZZ. I was hand flying the aircraft and we were slowing to configure to land. At approximately 1200 ft AGL the gear was down; flaps were at 28 degrees; the airspeed was 150 to 160 KTS and decreasing and I called for flaps 40 degrees. As the airspeed approached our reference (128) plus 10 airspeed I advanced the throttles to maintain the desired speed. Within a few seconds of advancing the throttles; the right generator kicked off line and I said; 'we've lost a generator.' about the time my EFIS display came back to life from the crosstie I noticed the right engine was not responding to my throttle inputs and I said; 'the right engine is not responding.' at that moment I thought the fuel controller had allowed a low idle condition that kicked off the generator and now was not spooling up with my throttle commands. I was now approximately 500-600 ft AGL and 100% of my attention was focused on the required EPR on the good engine to maintain my approach speed and fly the airplane to a safe landing. Captain increased the airspeed command bug about 10 KTS and said; 'we're stable; don't change any configuration and fly it like a single engine.' I said; 'ok I'm landing.' we touched down normally and exited the runway to discover the right fuel lever was in the off position. After we safely parked the aircraft; the #1 flight attendant inquired as to why the lights went off and on on short final. Not wanting any disembarking passenger to hear anything about an engine shutdown; I answered; 'we lost a generator.' I'm confident neither she nor any passenger were aware that an engine had shut down. While waiting for maintenance to arrival; the captain and I discovered that the right fuel lever would not stay in the on and locked position if it was lightly jiggled. After maintenance showed up and moved the lever up and down a couple of times it would not lock in the up or down position at all. Maintenance discovered a spring had broken in the lever and resulted in the involuntary engine shutdown. I was certain the fuel lever was locked in the 'on' position after start because I firmly jiggled the fuel lever as always after start; however; the spring that held the lever in the locked position must have provided just enough resistance to hold it in the locked position temporarily.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated initially the first thought was the right generator failed and the tie bus had closed and restored the EFIS display but noted the right engine was not responding to thrust lever inputs. The captain immediately ordered to fly the airplane like a single engine failure. Maintenance was able to duplicate the report as the fuel shutoff would not lock in any detent.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80; ON FINAL APCH IN LNDG CONFIGURATION AT 500-600 FT; HAD THE R ENG SHUT DOWN. LATER FOUND TO BE CAUSED BY A FAILED FUEL SHUTOFF LEVER DETENT SPRING.

Narrative: CAPT AND MYSELF WERE #1 TO LAND AND HAD BEEN CLRED TO LAND ON RWY 12R AT ZZZ. I WAS HAND FLYING THE ACFT AND WE WERE SLOWING TO CONFIGURE TO LAND. AT APPROX 1200 FT AGL THE GEAR WAS DOWN; FLAPS WERE AT 28 DEGS; THE AIRSPD WAS 150 TO 160 KTS AND DECREASING AND I CALLED FOR FLAPS 40 DEGS. AS THE AIRSPD APCHED OUR REF (128) PLUS 10 AIRSPD I ADVANCED THE THROTTLES TO MAINTAIN THE DESIRED SPD. WITHIN A FEW SECONDS OF ADVANCING THE THROTTLES; THE R GENERATOR KICKED OFF LINE AND I SAID; 'WE'VE LOST A GENERATOR.' ABOUT THE TIME MY EFIS DISPLAY CAME BACK TO LIFE FROM THE CROSSTIE I NOTICED THE R ENG WAS NOT RESPONDING TO MY THROTTLE INPUTS AND I SAID; 'THE R ENG IS NOT RESPONDING.' AT THAT MOMENT I THOUGHT THE FUEL CTLR HAD ALLOWED A LOW IDLE CONDITION THAT KICKED OFF THE GENERATOR AND NOW WAS NOT SPOOLING UP WITH MY THROTTLE COMMANDS. I WAS NOW APPROX 500-600 FT AGL AND 100% OF MY ATTENTION WAS FOCUSED ON THE REQUIRED EPR ON THE GOOD ENG TO MAINTAIN MY APCH SPD AND FLY THE AIRPLANE TO A SAFE LNDG. CAPT INCREASED THE AIRSPD COMMAND BUG ABOUT 10 KTS AND SAID; 'WE'RE STABLE; DON'T CHANGE ANY CONFIGURATION AND FLY IT LIKE A SINGLE ENG.' I SAID; 'OK I'M LNDG.' WE TOUCHED DOWN NORMALLY AND EXITED THE RWY TO DISCOVER THE R FUEL LEVER WAS IN THE OFF POSITION. AFTER WE SAFELY PARKED THE ACFT; THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT INQUIRED AS TO WHY THE LIGHTS WENT OFF AND ON ON SHORT FINAL. NOT WANTING ANY DISEMBARKING PAX TO HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT AN ENG SHUTDOWN; I ANSWERED; 'WE LOST A GENERATOR.' I'M CONFIDENT NEITHER SHE NOR ANY PAX WERE AWARE THAT AN ENG HAD SHUT DOWN. WHILE WAITING FOR MAINT TO ARR; THE CAPT AND I DISCOVERED THAT THE R FUEL LEVER WOULD NOT STAY IN THE ON AND LOCKED POSITION IF IT WAS LIGHTLY JIGGLED. AFTER MAINT SHOWED UP AND MOVED THE LEVER UP AND DOWN A COUPLE OF TIMES IT WOULD NOT LOCK IN THE UP OR DOWN POSITION AT ALL. MAINT DISCOVERED A SPRING HAD BROKEN IN THE LEVER AND RESULTED IN THE INVOLUNTARY ENG SHUTDOWN. I WAS CERTAIN THE FUEL LEVER WAS LOCKED IN THE 'ON' POSITION AFTER START BECAUSE I FIRMLY JIGGLED THE FUEL LEVER AS ALWAYS AFTER START; HOWEVER; THE SPRING THAT HELD THE LEVER IN THE LOCKED POSITION MUST HAVE PROVIDED JUST ENOUGH RESISTANCE TO HOLD IT IN THE LOCKED POSITION TEMPORARILY.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED INITIALLY THE FIRST THOUGHT WAS THE R GENERATOR FAILED AND THE TIE BUS HAD CLOSED AND RESTORED THE EFIS DISPLAY BUT NOTED THE R ENG WAS NOT RESPONDING TO THRUST LEVER INPUTS. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY ORDERED TO FLY THE AIRPLANE LIKE A SINGLE ENG FAILURE. MAINT WAS ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE RPT AS THE FUEL SHUTOFF WOULD NOT LOCK IN ANY DETENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.