A NEW BRASILIA CAPT ACCIDENTALLY FEATHERS AN ENG WHILE ATTEMPTING TO TURN ON THE LNDG LIGHTS NEAR MFR.

Narrative

DURING THE DSCNT; THE CAPT REACHED UP TO THE OVERHEAD PANEL TO SWITCH ON THE LNDG LIGHTS. HIS FINGERS ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE ELECTRIC AUTOFEATHER SWITCH ON THE L ENG. THE PROP IMMEDIATELY FEATHERED. THE PWR LEVERS WERE AT ABOUT 50% AND THE L TORQUE JUMPED TO 99% WHEN THE PROP FEATHERED. I REDUCED THE TORQUE; DISENGAGED THE AUTOPLT AND TOOK OVER THE NORMAL PNF DUTIES WHILE THE CAPT REVIEWED THE QRH TO DEAL WITH THE FEATHERED PROP. I CONTINUED TO SET UP THE ACFT FOR AN ILS INTO MFR. NO PROC IS IN OUR QRH TO DEAL WITH AN 'ACCIDENTAL PLT INDUCED FEATHERING.' WITH THE L PWR LEVER OF FLT IDLE THE CAPT UNFEATHERED THE PROP AND WE CONTINUED TO A NORMAL LNDG. THE ACFT WAS GNDED UNTIL THE FLT DATA RECORDER COULD BE CHKED TO VERIFY THAT THE L ENG DID NOT OVERTORQUE. THE CAPT WAS PUT ON ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE UNTIL A LINE CHK COULD BE DONE FOR HIM. I WAS TOLD THAT THIS PROB NORMALLY HAPPENS TO NEW CAPTS WHO FLIP SWITCHES TOO FAST. THIS CAPT ONLY HAD 2 HRS SINCE COMPLETING IOE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE OCCURRENCE OF ACCIDENTAL ENG FEATHERING HAS BECOME OF CONCERN TO THIS OPERATOR OF THE BRASILIA. THE CO-LOCATION OF THE AUTOFEATHER ARMING; ELECTRIC FEATHER AND LNDG LIGHT SWITCHES HAS RESULTED IN SEVERAL ACCIDENTAL AND SEVERAL NEAR FEATHERING OF THE L ENG. FURTHER; THE LOCATION AND DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT ARE SUCH THAT THE NORMAL ARM MOTION CAN RAISE THE GUARD AND ACTIVATE THE ELECTRIC FEATHER MECHANISM IN A SINGLE MOTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 457862: DURING DSCNT INTO MFR; I TURNED ON THE ICE INSPECTION LIGHTS AND LOGO LIGHTS AS SPECIFIED IN OUR SOP DSCNT FLOW. MY HAND CONTINUED IN AN UPWARD MOTION AND ACCIDENTALLY UNGUARDED AND ACTUATED THE L ELECTRIC FEATHERING SWITCH. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE CLOSE PROX OF L ENG ELECTRIC FEATHERING SWITCH TO THE LIGHT SWITCHES; ALSO A POOR GUARD DESIGN IN WHICH THE GUARDED SWITCH ACTIVATES IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE GUARD; MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO UNGUARD AND ACTUATE THE SWITCH IN THE SAME MOTION.