Narrative:

We were on a local flight with clear and unrestricted WX conditions in an small aircraft rg. I was in the left seat giving instruction in instructional techniques to the student in the right seat, who was a commercial pilot and rated in the airplane. The student was making the landing. We were on the roll out and beginning the follow-through for the touch and go, when the student reached over and retracted the landing gear handle instead of the flap handle. I reached for the handle but the nose gear was already beginning to fold. The main gear stayed down and locked because on this particular aircraft, the gear must fall down before it can move aft to retract into the wells. The nose gear continued to retract into the well and the propeller was q-tipped as the nose fell. The lower cowl and the nose gear doors were also damaged. I, as the instrument, probably could have been more attentive. The student pointed out that from the left seat in all of this type single engine aircraft, one must reach along way, stretching one's whole body to reach the flap handle. He postulated that he was duplicating that reach from the right seat to the landing gear handle, instead of reaching directly in front of him for the flap handle. Apparently, there was enough weight off of the nose to render the squat switch useless, even though I thought that we were slow enough that it should have operated normally. We contacted the tower after the aircraft came to a stop on the runway, and the aircraft was removed a few mins later. The event was officially labeled an incident. I, as an instrument, will monitor the student's actions more closely, especially on touch and go follow through. I will stress a slow and deliberate technique on the runway with verification of proper controls, switches, etc. Supplemental information from acn 105485: I reached over with my left hand to retract the flaps while I was looking outside. My instrument was looking outside also. Complacency was transitioning from aircraft to aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF GA SMA RETRACTED GEAR ON TOUCH AND GO LNDG INSTEAD OF THE FLAPS. NOSE GEAR CAME UP STRANDING THE ACFT ON RWY.

Narrative: WE WERE ON A LCL FLT WITH CLR AND UNRESTRICTED WX CONDITIONS IN AN SMA RG. I WAS IN THE LEFT SEAT GIVING INSTRUCTION IN INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES TO THE STUDENT IN THE RIGHT SEAT, WHO WAS A COMMERCIAL PLT AND RATED IN THE AIRPLANE. THE STUDENT WAS MAKING THE LNDG. WE WERE ON THE ROLL OUT AND BEGINNING THE FOLLOW-THROUGH FOR THE TOUCH AND GO, WHEN THE STUDENT REACHED OVER AND RETRACTED THE LNDG GEAR HANDLE INSTEAD OF THE FLAP HANDLE. I REACHED FOR THE HANDLE BUT THE NOSE GEAR WAS ALREADY BEGINNING TO FOLD. THE MAIN GEAR STAYED DOWN AND LOCKED BECAUSE ON THIS PARTICULAR ACFT, THE GEAR MUST FALL DOWN BEFORE IT CAN MOVE AFT TO RETRACT INTO THE WELLS. THE NOSE GEAR CONTINUED TO RETRACT INTO THE WELL AND THE PROP WAS Q-TIPPED AS THE NOSE FELL. THE LOWER COWL AND THE NOSE GEAR DOORS WERE ALSO DAMAGED. I, AS THE INSTR, PROBABLY COULD HAVE BEEN MORE ATTENTIVE. THE STUDENT POINTED OUT THAT FROM THE LEFT SEAT IN ALL OF THIS TYPE SINGLE ENG ACFT, ONE MUST REACH ALONG WAY, STRETCHING ONE'S WHOLE BODY TO REACH THE FLAP HANDLE. HE POSTULATED THAT HE WAS DUPLICATING THAT REACH FROM THE RIGHT SEAT TO THE LNDG GEAR HANDLE, INSTEAD OF REACHING DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HIM FOR THE FLAP HANDLE. APPARENTLY, THERE WAS ENOUGH WT OFF OF THE NOSE TO RENDER THE SQUAT SWITCH USELESS, EVEN THOUGH I THOUGHT THAT WE WERE SLOW ENOUGH THAT IT SHOULD HAVE OPERATED NORMALLY. WE CONTACTED THE TWR AFTER THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP ON THE RWY, AND THE ACFT WAS REMOVED A FEW MINS LATER. THE EVENT WAS OFFICIALLY LABELED AN INCIDENT. I, AS AN INSTR, WILL MONITOR THE STUDENT'S ACTIONS MORE CLOSELY, ESPECIALLY ON TOUCH AND GO FOLLOW THROUGH. I WILL STRESS A SLOW AND DELIBERATE TECHNIQUE ON THE RWY WITH VERIFICATION OF PROPER CONTROLS, SWITCHES, ETC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 105485: I REACHED OVER WITH MY LEFT HAND TO RETRACT THE FLAPS WHILE I WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE. MY INSTR WAS LOOKING OUTSIDE ALSO. COMPLACENCY WAS TRANSITIONING FROM ACFT TO ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.