Commuter flight crew crew pushes start button for left engine when cleared to start right engine.

Attributes
ACN	242144
Time
Date	199305
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : azo
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 5000 flight time type : 3000
ASRS Report	242144
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : became reoriented
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

With a show time of 0230 am for a 7 flight day with 13 hours of duty, we had had a 2 1/2 hour break with 5 legs already finished. When we go to the aircraft in azo we knew we probably shouldn't have any caffeinated beverages since we would shortly be in cid for our overnight (within 2 1/2 hours and there we would only get 8 hours on the ground there before beginning our next 3 legs in the morning with an XX15 am show time). When given clearance to start the right engine I inadvertently pressed the start button for the left. Realizing I'd made an error, I immediately aborted the start. What concerns me is: 1) there are no mandated fences around propellers on the boarding side of aircraft and folks routinely pass that way when hats or paper could blow off heads at anytime. 2) there is no established procedure whereby 1 pilot always is responsible for 1 engine and the other for starting the next one. 3) most of all there is very little checking of schedules by physiological experts for their fatiguing effects on crews. With computer generated and non flight personnel, oversight results of such a system could be disastrous. I believe long stays on the ground between legs (without that being actual rest time) coupled with long duty days are a real problem.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER FLC CREW PUSHES START BUTTON FOR L ENG WHEN CLRED TO START R ENG.

Narrative: WITH A SHOW TIME OF 0230 AM FOR A 7 FLT DAY WITH 13 HRS OF DUTY, WE HAD HAD A 2 1/2 HR BREAK WITH 5 LEGS ALREADY FINISHED. WHEN WE GO TO THE ACFT IN AZO WE KNEW WE PROBABLY SHOULDN'T HAVE ANY CAFFEINATED BEVERAGES SINCE WE WOULD SHORTLY BE IN CID FOR OUR OVERNIGHT (WITHIN 2 1/2 HRS AND THERE WE WOULD ONLY GET 8 HRS ON THE GND THERE BEFORE BEGINNING OUR NEXT 3 LEGS IN THE MORNING WITH AN XX15 AM SHOW TIME). WHEN GIVEN CLRNC TO START THE R ENG I INADVERTENTLY PRESSED THE START BUTTON FOR THE L. REALIZING I'D MADE AN ERROR, I IMMEDIATELY ABORTED THE START. WHAT CONCERNS ME IS: 1) THERE ARE NO MANDATED FENCES AROUND PROPS ON THE BOARDING SIDE OF ACFT AND FOLKS ROUTINELY PASS THAT WAY WHEN HATS OR PAPER COULD BLOW OFF HEADS AT ANYTIME. 2) THERE IS NO ESTABLISHED PROC WHEREBY 1 PLT ALWAYS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 1 ENG AND THE OTHER FOR STARTING THE NEXT ONE. 3) MOST OF ALL THERE IS VERY LITTLE CHKING OF SCHEDULES BY PHYSIOLOGICAL EXPERTS FOR THEIR FATIGUING EFFECTS ON CREWS. WITH COMPUTER GENERATED AND NON FLT PERSONNEL, OVERSIGHT RESULTS OF SUCH A SYS COULD BE DISASTROUS. I BELIEVE LONG STAYS ON THE GND BTWN LEGS (WITHOUT THAT BEING ACTUAL REST TIME) COUPLED WITH LONG DUTY DAYS ARE A REAL PROB.

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.