COMMUTER TURBOPROP ATTEMPTS TKOF WITH SPD LEVERS IN LOW POS.

Narrative

FOLLOWING A REDUCED REST (8 HRS) AFTER MORE THAN A 14 HR DUTY DAY; WE WERE BEGINNING OUR FIRST TKOF OF THE DAY. AS WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF; I CALLED FOR THE BEFORE TKOF CHKLIST. WE COMPLETED THAT AND I CALLED FOR THE MEMORY ITEMS ON THE TKOF CHKLIST: 'AIR FLOWS -- OFF10 MIS10 MI206270; SPDS -- HIGH.' THE FO CALLED OUT 'OFF AND HIGH' AND ADVANCED THE PWR LEVERS FOR TARGET TORQUE. DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE ACFT; THE FO (IT WAS HIS TKOF) CANNOT STEER THE PLANE UNTIL 70 KTS. AT 70 KTS; A TRANSFER OF CTLS TAKES PLACE; AND THE CAPT RELEASES THE TILLER AND LOOKS INSIDE TO VERIFY THAT ALL ENG INSTS; C.A.P. LIGHTS; ETC. ARE INDICATING CORRECTLY. I REALIZED SHORTLY AFTER WE TRANSFERRED CTLS THAT THE ENG SPD LEVERS WERE IN 'LOW' AND ENG RPM WAS LOW. I ADVANCED THE RPM LEVERS AND THE TKOF CONTINUED WITHOUT INCIDENT. IT COULD HAVE TURNED OUT DIFFERENTLY. WE WERE BOTH EXTREMELY FATIGUED AND EASILY DISTRACTED. I DON'T KNOW WHY MY FO DIDN'T ADVANCE THE SPDS OR WHY I FAILED TO NOTICE THAT THEY HADN'T BEEN ADVANCED UNTIL LATE INTO THE ROLL; BUT I THINK LONG DUTY DAYS AND MIN LEGAL RESTS WERE CERTAINLY CONTRIBUTING FACTORS. AS LONG AS PART 135 CARRIERS ARE ALLOWED TO SCHEDULE PLTS TO FLY FATIGUED; THEY WILL DO SO. LINE PLTS FEAR USING THE WORD FATIGUE TO SCHEDULERS BECAUSE THEY FEAR DISCIPLINARY ACTION. MY COMPANY'S VIEWPOINT IS THAT; IF IT'S LEGAL YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO IT. TO PREVENT THIS KIND OF INATTENTIVE INACTION TYPE OF INCIDENT FROM OCCURRING REQUIRES PLTS TO BE MENTALLY ALERT. THE ONLY WAY ANY SCHEDULING CHANGES WILL OCCUR IS IF THE FAA CHANGES ITS REST REQUIREMENT POLICY TO INCLUDE ADEQUATE REST FOR FLCS. RIGHT NOW; THE REST REQUIREMENTS ARE REALLY AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.