Narrative:

On our flight; our embraer 190 had an MEL for the in-flight entertainment electronics rack which required us to turn off the in-flight entertainment electronics rack guarded push button before we landed. On short final I pressed what I thought was the in-flight entertainment electronics rack button and a white light was observed illuminated in the push button telling me that the in-flight entertainment electronics rack was turned off. What I actually pushed was the pitch trim system 2 cutout guarded switch and a white light illuminated in the switch. This switch looks identical to the in-flight entertainment electronics rack push button except it is located approximately 1 inch forward on the control pedestal. No EICAS message alerted me that I had disabled pitch trim channel 2 until we were on the ground rollout phase of flight when a caution flight control no dispatch message appeared on the EICAS. Once the aircraft was at the gate; I realized that I had turned off the incorrect switch. This was the third flight in this aircraft for the day on the first day of a 2 day trip. I had previously turned off and on the correct in-flight entertainment electronics rack guarded switch earlier in the day and was familiar with the MEL. Factors that I think contributed to me incorrectly pushing the wrong push button are: 1) fatigue -- we had a very early flight time and I had to get up at XA00 in order to be at the airport for my report time. Before this flight; I had been on a late night schedule for the previous 4 weeks so it was hard to go to sleep the night before our report time and I had not been able to sleep well because of this. 2) on approach; we had been just slightly late to configure and we were close to not being stable; defined by our airline fom; so I felt rushed and a little distraction and out of rhythm because I was focusing on if we were going to be stable. We were stable by 1000 ft AGL. 3) the close proximity and same appearance of switches made it easy for me to press the wrong one.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FATIGUED AND RUSHED; CAPT OF E190 PUSHES WRONG SWITCH TO COMPLY WITH MEL REQUIREMENTS.

Narrative: ON OUR FLT; OUR EMBRAER 190 HAD AN MEL FOR THE INFLT ENTERTAINMENT ELECTRONICS RACK WHICH REQUIRED US TO TURN OFF THE INFLT ENTERTAINMENT ELECTRONICS RACK GUARDED PUSH BUTTON BEFORE WE LANDED. ON SHORT FINAL I PRESSED WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE INFLT ENTERTAINMENT ELECTRONICS RACK BUTTON AND A WHITE LIGHT WAS OBSERVED ILLUMINATED IN THE PUSH BUTTON TELLING ME THAT THE INFLT ENTERTAINMENT ELECTRONICS RACK WAS TURNED OFF. WHAT I ACTUALLY PUSHED WAS THE PITCH TRIM SYS 2 CUTOUT GUARDED SWITCH AND A WHITE LIGHT ILLUMINATED IN THE SWITCH. THIS SWITCH LOOKS IDENTICAL TO THE INFLT ENTERTAINMENT ELECTRONICS RACK PUSH BUTTON EXCEPT IT IS LOCATED APPROX 1 INCH FORWARD ON THE CTL PEDESTAL. NO EICAS MESSAGE ALERTED ME THAT I HAD DISABLED PITCH TRIM CHANNEL 2 UNTIL WE WERE ON THE GND ROLLOUT PHASE OF FLT WHEN A CAUTION FLT CTL NO DISPATCH MESSAGE APPEARED ON THE EICAS. ONCE THE ACFT WAS AT THE GATE; I REALIZED THAT I HAD TURNED OFF THE INCORRECT SWITCH. THIS WAS THE THIRD FLT IN THIS ACFT FOR THE DAY ON THE FIRST DAY OF A 2 DAY TRIP. I HAD PREVIOUSLY TURNED OFF AND ON THE CORRECT INFLT ENTERTAINMENT ELECTRONICS RACK GUARDED SWITCH EARLIER IN THE DAY AND WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE MEL. FACTORS THAT I THINK CONTRIBUTED TO ME INCORRECTLY PUSHING THE WRONG PUSH BUTTON ARE: 1) FATIGUE -- WE HAD A VERY EARLY FLT TIME AND I HAD TO GET UP AT XA00 IN ORDER TO BE AT THE ARPT FOR MY RPT TIME. BEFORE THIS FLT; I HAD BEEN ON A LATE NIGHT SCHEDULE FOR THE PREVIOUS 4 WKS SO IT WAS HARD TO GO TO SLEEP THE NIGHT BEFORE OUR RPT TIME AND I HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO SLEEP WELL BECAUSE OF THIS. 2) ON APCH; WE HAD BEEN JUST SLIGHTLY LATE TO CONFIGURE AND WE WERE CLOSE TO NOT BEING STABLE; DEFINED BY OUR AIRLINE FOM; SO I FELT RUSHED AND A LITTLE DISTR AND OUT OF RHYTHM BECAUSE I WAS FOCUSING ON IF WE WERE GOING TO BE STABLE. WE WERE STABLE BY 1000 FT AGL. 3) THE CLOSE PROX AND SAME APPEARANCE OF SWITCHES MADE IT EASY FOR ME TO PRESS THE WRONG ONE.

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