PA34 FLC HAS LOSS OF PWR ON R ENG DURING TKOF FROM KOMA.

Narrative

THE AIRPLANE; A PIPER SENECA; WAS TO BE FLOWN FROM MN TO OK FOR REPAIRS. SINCE I START TRAINING IN THAT ACFT FOR A FAR 135 OP ON A LATER DATE; I WAS INSTRUCTED TO RIDE ALONG ON THE FLT. THE PIC HAD LOW TIME AND HAD NEVER FLOWN ON A LONG-XCOUNTRY FLT SUCH AS THIS. HE FLEW THE FIRST LEG AND ASKED ME IF I WAS INTERESTED IN FLYING THE SECOND LEG; WHICH I DECIDED TO DO. HIS INEXPERIENCE WAS OBVIOUS; AND I SOON FOUND HIS DIRECTION TO BE USELESS. ON TKOF; I ACCIDENTALLY SWITCHED OFF 1 MAGNETO INSTEAD OF A FUEL PUMP. APPROX 10 SECONDS LATER; I NOTICED THE R ENG WAS NOT PERFORMING VERY WELL AT ALL. I ASKED THE OTHER PLT IF HE SAW ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE ENG; AND HE BECAME VERY FRIGHTENED AND WAS UNABLE TO RESPOND. I THEN ASSUMED THAT WE DID; IN FACT; HAVE A REAL PWR FAILURE AND BEGAN HEADING BACK TOWARD THE ARPT. I INFORMED ATC THAT WE HAD AN ENG-OUT AND AN EMER WAS DECLARED. ON THE DOWNWIND; I BEGAN AN ENG-FAILURE TROUBLESHOOTING PROC AND FOUND THE MAGNETO SWITCH IN THE OFF POS. I THEN CHKED THE MAGNETO BACK ON; AND WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE THE FLT AS PLANNED. I FEEL THAT SOMETHING THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS OCCURRENCE WAS A FEELING OF APATHY TOWARD THE PIC. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE MAGNETO SWITCH GUARDS THAT HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE ACFT. A THIRD FACTOR; WAS THE PIC'S CONTINUOUS TALKING DURING THE ENTIRE TKOF. THE MAGNETO WAS SWITCHED OFF WHILE I WAS RESPONDING TO SOMETHING HE WAS TELLING ME ABOUT THE LNDG GEAR SYS. PUTTING MORE EMPHASIS ON CONCENTRATING DURING INITIAL PHASES OF FLT; AND NOT REMOVING SAFETY EQUIP FROM THE ACFT WERE CERTAINLY CONTRIBUTING FACTORS AND COULD BE PREVENTED BY USING COMMON SENSE AND FOLLOWING APPROPRIATE MAINT PROCS.