A PA34R-301 INSTRUCTOR PLT DECLARES AN EMER AFTER THE ENG FAILS DUE TO FUEL STARVATION AFTER A TANK SELECTION DURING A MISSED APCH AT RDG; PA.

Narrative

ACFT TYPE PA32R-301. ON NDB 36 APCH; STUDENT FLIPPED THE FUEL SELECTOR L; PER LNDG CHKLIST 'SELECT FULLEST TANK.' FLT CONTINUED 2 MINS; 20 SECONDS TO MISSED APCH;; THEN MISSED APCH INITIATED. ENG QUIT ABOUT 30 SECONDS LATER. DECLARED EMER; RETURNED FOR LNDG. ON APCH; I OPENED ALTERNATE AIR AND SWITCHED TANKS TO R. ENG RESTARTED IMMEDIATELY. LNDG UNEVENTFUL. ON GND; DISCOVERED THAT SELECTOR LEVER WOULD TOUCH; BUT BYPASS SAFETY STOP BTWN 'L' AND 'OFF' POS. SELECTOR IS ALMOST OUT OF SIGHT UNDER PANEL IN THE DARK. MUST BE OPERATED BY FEEL; BUT STOP RESISTANCE WAS NEGLIGIBLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THIS ACFT WAS ONLY 2 YRS OLD. THE FUEL SELECTOR IS LOCATED 'DEAD CTR' BELOW THE INST PANEL NEAR THE FLOOR AND IS NOT TOO VISIBLE TO THE OPERATING PLTS SINCE THE LIGHTING IS POOR SO THE SELECTION OF A FUEL TANK IS PRIMARILY DONE BY FEEL. THERE IS A PLASTIC RIVET TO THE L OF THE L TANK SELECTION POS THAT IS SUPPOSED TO KEEP THE SELECTOR FROM MOVING FURTHER L INTO THE 'OFF' POS. WHEN ANY AMOUNT OF DIRT; CONTAMINATION; ETC GETS BTWN THE L TANK AND OFF POS; THE SELECTOR HANDLE TENDS TO RIDE UP AND OVER THAT PLASTIC RIVET TO THE OFF POS. HE SAID THAT THIS IS NOT A DESIGN PROB; BUT A PLT OR MAINT PROB; BEING CERTAIN THAT THIS AREA IS KEPT DIRT FREE. HE REMARKED THAT OTHER PLTS HAVE KNOWN OF THIS PROB WITH THE SARATOGA MODEL. ON THE LANCERS; IT IS A PREFLT PROC TO RUN THE SELECTOR AROUND DURING THE CHK OF THE BELLY DRAIN; BUT AN EFFECTIVE CHK ONLY IF YOU ROTATE THE SELECTOR COUNTERCLOCKWISE; WHICH WOULD CHK THAT PLASTIC STOP. HE SAID THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD PREFLT OR CHKLIST ITEM TO CHK THE CLEANLINESS OF THE AREA AND SEE IF THE STOP WORKS PROPERLY IN THE COUNTERCLOCKWISE DIRECTION. RPTR STATED THAT HE WAS GOING TO WRITE AN ARTICLE REGARDING THIS SIT AND HOW TO PROCEDURALLY CHK THE SELECTOR.