need a sincere answer

[IDF]

i am a 1000 pilot with 200 multi (piston) and considered above avarage by examiners during all my career.
i had an unpleasant incident during training on DHC 6 from the right seat:
during taxi on righr engine only i was instructed to start the left one.
(its a total manualy PT-6 start)
it happened to me twice in one month that instead of pushing forward
the left engine fuel lever, i pulled the right one and shut down the working
engine! (i have to mention that my other hand is far on the starter and
my eyes are on the Ng gauge. the fuel levers are over head and very close to eachother.)
do you think its a no go with training? do you think that i have to consider again my fitness to been a pilot? or may be i am too tough with my self?

[kwachon]

The old adage od "Identify, Verify" comes to mind. I suggest strict adherance to the checklist and use the "Identify Verify" rule before moving anything. You could also use good CRM and get your left seater/Captain to confirm the correct control and direction before moving it.

Certainly looking at the Ng gauge is correct but it will not show anything until fuel has entered the engine and ignited so I would suggest looking at what your hand is doing, confirm it did/does the right thing then go to the gauges. One thing at a time.

Good luck

KW:ok:

[Chris Scott]

I agree with kwachon.

Have never flown the Dash-6 (is it the Twin Otter?), and my only turbo-prop was the RR Dart, so am not familiar with the position of the levers (up in the roof?) or the PT-6 Ng gauge. Sorry...

But that is not important. Opening or closing down an engine master control is something NEVER to be done casually. That means: BOTH crew members should cross-monitor that the correct switch or lever is being touched BEFORE the selection is made. I would prefer that an engine was never started during taxiing, because - whenever the aeroplane is in motion - things can easily go wrong. The first responsibility of the PF has to be always the flight-path (taxiing, in this case).

To err is to be human. Commercial pilots are only too human. As you get more experienced, you will find it easier to hit a good balance between nervous energy on the one hand, and complacency on the other. Even the best pilots, however, can and do make apparently silly mistakes after 25 years in the job, just as they can on day-one. That is the main reason for having more than one pilot in the cockpit.

There should, at least, be a cross-monitoring/dialogue something like this:

PF: "(Please) start left engine."
[PNF places hand on left-engine fuel lever.]
PNF: "Check fuel lever?"
[PF, when he or she is ready, looks at fuel lever to verify correct engine.]
PF: "Left fuel lever checked." [OR: "Negative, (please) check again?"]

PNF: [I]"Starting left engine."

Sounds time-consuming? With practice, it isn't. Airlines usually list the actions and "Standard Calls" as part of an "expanded" checklist of SOPs for normal and emergency procedures. Maybe you are in a more informal operation at the moment, flying with captains who may even be hostile to the concept of SOPs and CRM. Don't worry, many of us have been there...

It is possible to create your own rules of self discipline to suit your operation - I expect you have some already. You can silently make something like the above calls, imagining that there is a third person observing.

Enjoy your career; after 35 years, I am putting my feet up. ;)

[moggiee]

The sensible thing is to start both engine before taxy. When the workload is low then errors are less likely.

As for identification, the advice given above is good - less haste, more speed and accuracy.

[Wilton Shagpile]

....so you think you're not fit to be a pilot just because you've made a couple of incorrect selections through not being careful? Well if all pilots who had pushed the wrong button gave up flying then I don't think there would be many aeroplanes flying at all.

Sounds like your only problem is a lack of confidence...get over it and THINK before you touch anything!