GA light transport positioned fuel switches wrong and flamed out both engines on approach.

Attributes
ACN	94408
Time
Date	198809
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ugn
State Reference	IN
Altitude	msl bound lower : 1500 msl bound upper : 1500
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : bos
Operator	common carrier : air taxi
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	descent : approach
Route In Use	approach : straight in
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 7800 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	94408
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

Aircraft is light transport has 3 separate ways to get fuel out of fuselage (trunk) fuel tank. Because of limited wing fuel, gravity flow is selected after takeoff. This causes xflow light to illuminate in front of pilot, this remains on for majority of every flight. On descent remaining fuel is transferred by pump into wings. This switch has 3 position transfer, off and fill. The other switch is an auxiliary transfer switch. To pump fuel into wings at high rate. Because it was first flight in an light transport fuselage transfer switch was inadvertently placed in fill position because of 3 things. Cockpit workload, other 2 switches are off in rear position, whereas this switch fills tank in same position. Xflow light is on for most of all flts, so is ignored. Fuel low warning light did not work. Consequently both engines flamed out, both were restarted within 30 seconds and normal landing accomplished. Suggestion: moving transfer switch so that off position cannot be confused with other switches. Redesign panel lights to show difference between xflow and transfer or fill.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA LTT POSITIONED FUEL SWITCHES WRONG AND FLAMED OUT BOTH ENGINES ON APCH.

Narrative: ACFT IS LTT HAS 3 SEPARATE WAYS TO GET FUEL OUT OF FUSELAGE (TRUNK) FUEL TANK. BECAUSE OF LIMITED WING FUEL, GRAVITY FLOW IS SELECTED AFTER TKOF. THIS CAUSES XFLOW LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE IN FRONT OF PLT, THIS REMAINS ON FOR MAJORITY OF EVERY FLT. ON DSCNT REMAINING FUEL IS TRANSFERRED BY PUMP INTO WINGS. THIS SWITCH HAS 3 POS TRANSFER, OFF AND FILL. THE OTHER SWITCH IS AN AUX TRANSFER SWITCH. TO PUMP FUEL INTO WINGS AT HIGH RATE. BECAUSE IT WAS FIRST FLT IN AN LTT FUSELAGE TRANSFER SWITCH WAS INADVERTENTLY PLACED IN FILL POS BECAUSE OF 3 THINGS. COCKPIT WORKLOAD, OTHER 2 SWITCHES ARE OFF IN REAR POS, WHEREAS THIS SWITCH FILLS TANK IN SAME POS. XFLOW LIGHT IS ON FOR MOST OF ALL FLTS, SO IS IGNORED. FUEL LOW WARNING LIGHT DID NOT WORK. CONSEQUENTLY BOTH ENGS FLAMED OUT, BOTH WERE RESTARTED WITHIN 30 SECS AND NORMAL LNDG ACCOMPLISHED. SUGGESTION: MOVING TRANSFER SWITCH SO THAT OFF POS CANNOT BE CONFUSED WITH OTHER SWITCHES. REDESIGN PANEL LIGHTS TO SHOW DIFFERENCE BTWN XFLOW AND TRANSFER OR FILL.

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