Narrative:

Operating on IFR flight plan, scheduled part 135 cargo, en route from ZZZ to cps to pick up cargo. Preflight/run-up no problems. First officer was flying, I was reading/calling out checklist. Departed runway 12R at ZZZ. While climbing through 1000 ft AGL, check includes fuel boost pumps (auxiliary) off, verify fuel pressure holds. I called this, placed finger next to overhead left engine pump, first officer turned off and we verified pressure. Repeated this with right engine without incident. Approximately 10-20 seconds later, right engine appeared to surge on/off causing aircraft to yaw back and forth. I performed rote engine out procedure -- full mixtures, propellers, throttles, both auxiliary fuel pumps back on, alternate airs on. I advised ZZZ departure we were having engine trouble and needed to return for landing. ATC was great, immediately gave us vectors back to ZZZ and advised to land on any runway. We turned left back to ZZZ and landed without incident on 30L. On the ground, there were no signs of fire, catastrophic engine failure, fuel contamination, etc. It appeared first officer may have bumped fuel cut-off switch, (which is directly next to fuel pump switch) when he turned off fuel pump. The fuel cut-off switch is a toggle, guarded only with a metal loop over the switch, not the typical red-plastic FLIP-guard. The first officer was unaware he may have done this.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AERO COMMANDER 500 IN TKOF CLB AT 1000 FT DECLARED AN EMER AND DIVERTED DUE TO LOSS OF R ENG PWR. CAUSED BY INADVERTENT ACTIVATION OF FUEL CUTOFF SWITCH.

Narrative: OPERATING ON IFR FLT PLAN, SCHEDULED PART 135 CARGO, ENRTE FROM ZZZ TO CPS TO PICK UP CARGO. PREFLT/RUN-UP NO PROBS. FO WAS FLYING, I WAS READING/CALLING OUT CHKLIST. DEPARTED RWY 12R AT ZZZ. WHILE CLBING THROUGH 1000 FT AGL, CHK INCLUDES FUEL BOOST PUMPS (AUX) OFF, VERIFY FUEL PRESSURE HOLDS. I CALLED THIS, PLACED FINGER NEXT TO OVERHEAD L ENG PUMP, FO TURNED OFF AND WE VERIFIED PRESSURE. REPEATED THIS WITH R ENG WITHOUT INCIDENT. APPROX 10-20 SECONDS LATER, R ENG APPEARED TO SURGE ON/OFF CAUSING ACFT TO YAW BACK AND FORTH. I PERFORMED ROTE ENG OUT PROC -- FULL MIXTURES, PROPS, THROTTLES, BOTH AUX FUEL PUMPS BACK ON, ALTERNATE AIRS ON. I ADVISED ZZZ DEP WE WERE HAVING ENG TROUBLE AND NEEDED TO RETURN FOR LNDG. ATC WAS GREAT, IMMEDIATELY GAVE US VECTORS BACK TO ZZZ AND ADVISED TO LAND ON ANY RWY. WE TURNED L BACK TO ZZZ AND LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT ON 30L. ON THE GND, THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF FIRE, CATASTROPHIC ENG FAILURE, FUEL CONTAMINATION, ETC. IT APPEARED FO MAY HAVE BUMPED FUEL CUT-OFF SWITCH, (WHICH IS DIRECTLY NEXT TO FUEL PUMP SWITCH) WHEN HE TURNED OFF FUEL PUMP. THE FUEL CUT-OFF SWITCH IS A TOGGLE, GUARDED ONLY WITH A METAL LOOP OVER THE SWITCH, NOT THE TYPICAL RED-PLASTIC FLIP-GUARD. THE FO WAS UNAWARE HE MAY HAVE DONE THIS.

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.