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.