A FAIRCHILD METRO III PILOT REPORTS INADVERTENTLY CLOSING THE LEFT ENG FUEL SHUTOFF VALVE ON SHORT FINAL WHILE ATTEMPTING TO LOWER THE LANDING GEAR.

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I WAS THE FO IN THIS INCIDENT. BOTH THE CAPT AND I HAD LOW TIME IN THIS ACFT. WE HAD BEEN CLRED FOR THE APCH AND WERE SELF ANNOUNCING ON THE CTAF. AT GS INTERCEPT THE CAPT CALLED 'GEAR DOWN; BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST.' I OBTAINED THE CHKLIST AND CALLED FOR THE FIRST ITEM. THE CAPT AGAIN CALLED FOR GEAR DOWN; AND I REACHED OVER (L LOWER SIDE OF CTR CONSOLE) AND SET THE GEAR HANDLE IN THE DOWN POS; CALLED; 'GEAR DOWN' AND COMPLETED THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST. AFTER I STOWED THE CHKLIST AND CALLED THE RWY IN SIGHT THE CAPT STATED SOMETHING WAS WRONG. FEELING THE AIRPLANE YAW TO THE L; I APPLIED R RUDDER. THEN I SAW THE L ENG OIL LIGHT ILLUMINATE. I TOLD THE CAPT I THOUGHT HE HAD LOST AN ENG AND ASKED IF HE WOULD LIKE THE PROP FEATHERED. HE CONFIRMED THE FAILURE; BUT DID NOT WANT ME TO FEATHER THE PROP. HE SAID THAT HE HAD THE RWY MADE AND DID NOT WANT TO RISK ANY CHANGE THAT NEAR TO THE GND. I AGREED WITH HIS DECISION. HE THEN POINTED TO THE L FUEL SHUTOFF SWITCH AND I NOTED IT WAS IN THE CLOSED POS. I ASSISTED HIM WITH RUDDER PRESSURE; AIRSPD; AND ALT CALLS; AND REMINDED HIM TO BE CAREFUL WITH THE REVERSE THRUST ON THE SINGLE ENG LNDG. AFTER AN UNEVENTFUL TOUCHDOWN WE TAXIED TO PARKING; UNLOADED THE PAX AND DISCUSSED HOW THE FUEL COULD HAVE BEEN SHUT OFF. NEITHER PLT COULD RECALL CLOSING THE SWITCH. ONE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR MAY HAVE BEEN THE PAIRING OF A JUNIOR FO AND A JUNIOR CAPT; NEITHER HAVING MUCH TIME IN TYPE. I BELIEVE THE MAIN CONTRIBUTING FACTOR; HOWEVER; WAS THE LOCATION OF THE FUEL SHUTOFF SWITCHES. THEY ARE SMALL SILVER TOGGLE SWITCHES LOCATED BENEATH THE THROTTLES AND DIRECTLY ABOVE THE GEAR HANDLE; A HIGH ACTIVITY AREA DURING THE LNDG PHASE OF FLT. THIS INCIDENT COULD BE PREVENTED IN THE FUTURE BY PLACING A SIMPLE; HINGED; CLR PLASTIC SHIELD OVER THE FUEL SWITCHES TO PROTECT THEM. THIS WOULD ALSO REQUIRE A PLT TO DELIBERATELY LIFT UP THE SHIELD BEFORE CLOSING THE FUEL SWITCH; MAKING IT MORE DIFFICULT TO DO SO INADVERTENTLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT THE ROUND LANDING GEAR CONTROL LEVER IS LOCATED ON THE AFT LEFT OF THE CENTER PEDESTAL BELOW THE FUEL SHUTOFF SWITCHES. THE FUEL SHUTOFF SWITCHES; HIGHER ON THE PEDESTAL THAN THE LANDING GEAR CONTROL LEVER; MUST BE PHYSICALLY MOVED OUT OF A DETENT AND PUT IN EITHER THE ON OR OFF POSITIONS. THE CREW HAS NO IDEA HOW THE LEFT ENGINE FUEL CONTROL SWITCH WAS MOVED DURING THE EVENT. THE CAPT THOUGHT MAYBE HIS LEG HIT THE SWITCH AND THE FO MAY HAVE BUMPED IT. BUT NEITHER PERSON IS CERTAIN WHAT HAPPENED.