Narrative:

On my commercial multi-engine chkride the examiner took my license and stapled it to my license application and put it, along with my commercial written test results, into his briefcase and caused it to be left behind on the ground. During the whole chkride I flew the aircraft west/O a license in my possession. Also, there were some other occurrences that bear noting. On final approach to land at merrill field (anchorage, ak), the examiner suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to have me demonstrate an emergency gear extension procedure. On short final, less than 1/2-1/4 mi from threshold, he commanded me to pull the emergency gear extension lever. I asked him if he wanted me to put the gear up (the gumps 3-GREEN check had been completed), at which time I put the gear lever in the up position. He then commanded me to pull the emergency gear extension lever again, at which time I did. I did not hear the usual mechanical thump sound that normally accompanies the emergency gear release procedure (this mechanical thump sound is normally caused by the landing gear free-falling into the down and locked position); however, over the threshold I accomplished a gear down and locked check and called, '3 green and the mirror' ('3 green meaning 3 gear lights on [down and locked], and 'the mirror' meaning the nose gear was visible in the left engine nacelle mirror. The landing was accomplished except on rollout the examiner commanded me to push in the emergency gear extension lever, which I did. Then I attempted to bring the aircraft to a stop--yoke back and full braking. Just as I was about to turn off the runway the landing gear collapsed and the aircraft skidded to a stop straight ahead. Evidently at a point after gear extension, the examiner had pulled the circuit breaker to the landing gear system and then pushed it back in before the aircraft came to a full stop while on the runway. The first thing the examiner said when the aircraft came to a stop after the gear collapsed was, 'I sure didn't see you had that gear handle up!' the reason I had put the gear handle up was because during my training the instrument made me demonstrate the emergency gear release procedure with the gear in the up position, then had me release the gear to the down and locked position by using the emergency gear release lever. When I asked the examiner if he wanted me to put up the gear (on final), it was because I was going to demonstrate the entire procedure, but his commands to pull the emergency gear release lever distracted and intimidated me into following his directions, of which the end result is evident. NTSB ruled this occurrence an incident. I believe examiners should conduct their chkrides more safely!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PVT PLT ON MULTI-ENGINE CHECKRIDE ENDS UP WITH AN INADVERTENT GEAR RETRACTION ON THE RWY DUE TO THE INSPECTOR'S ACTIONS.

Narrative: ON MY COMMERCIAL MULTI-ENG CHKRIDE THE EXAMINER TOOK MY LICENSE AND STAPLED IT TO MY LICENSE APPLICATION AND PUT IT, ALONG WITH MY COMMERCIAL WRITTEN TEST RESULTS, INTO HIS BRIEFCASE AND CAUSED IT TO BE LEFT BEHIND ON THE GND. DURING THE WHOLE CHKRIDE I FLEW THE ACFT W/O A LICENSE IN MY POSSESSION. ALSO, THERE WERE SOME OTHER OCCURRENCES THAT BEAR NOTING. ON FINAL APCH TO LAND AT MERRILL FIELD (ANCHORAGE, AK), THE EXAMINER SUDDENLY REMEMBERED THAT HE HAD FORGOTTEN TO HAVE ME DEMONSTRATE AN EMER GEAR EXTENSION PROC. ON SHORT FINAL, LESS THAN 1/2-1/4 MI FROM THRESHOLD, HE COMMANDED ME TO PULL THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION LEVER. I ASKED HIM IF HE WANTED ME TO PUT THE GEAR UP (THE GUMPS 3-GREEN CHK HAD BEEN COMPLETED), AT WHICH TIME I PUT THE GEAR LEVER IN THE UP POS. HE THEN COMMANDED ME TO PULL THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION LEVER AGAIN, AT WHICH TIME I DID. I DID NOT HEAR THE USUAL MECHANICAL THUMP SOUND THAT NORMALLY ACCOMPANIES THE EMER GEAR RELEASE PROC (THIS MECHANICAL THUMP SOUND IS NORMALLY CAUSED BY THE LNDG GEAR FREE-FALLING INTO THE DOWN AND LOCKED POS); HOWEVER, OVER THE THRESHOLD I ACCOMPLISHED A GEAR DOWN AND LOCKED CHK AND CALLED, '3 GREEN AND THE MIRROR' ('3 GREEN MEANING 3 GEAR LIGHTS ON [DOWN AND LOCKED], AND 'THE MIRROR' MEANING THE NOSE GEAR WAS VISIBLE IN THE LEFT ENG NACELLE MIRROR. THE LNDG WAS ACCOMPLISHED EXCEPT ON ROLLOUT THE EXAMINER COMMANDED ME TO PUSH IN THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION LEVER, WHICH I DID. THEN I ATTEMPTED TO BRING THE ACFT TO A STOP--YOKE BACK AND FULL BRAKING. JUST AS I WAS ABOUT TO TURN OFF THE RWY THE LNDG GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE ACFT SKIDDED TO A STOP STRAIGHT AHEAD. EVIDENTLY AT A POINT AFTER GEAR EXTENSION, THE EXAMINER HAD PULLED THE CB TO THE LNDG GEAR SYS AND THEN PUSHED IT BACK IN BEFORE THE ACFT CAME TO A FULL STOP WHILE ON THE RWY. THE FIRST THING THE EXAMINER SAID WHEN THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP AFTER THE GEAR COLLAPSED WAS, 'I SURE DIDN'T SEE YOU HAD THAT GEAR HANDLE UP!' THE REASON I HAD PUT THE GEAR HANDLE UP WAS BECAUSE DURING MY TRNING THE INSTR MADE ME DEMONSTRATE THE EMER GEAR RELEASE PROC WITH THE GEAR IN THE UP POS, THEN HAD ME RELEASE THE GEAR TO THE DOWN AND LOCKED POS BY USING THE EMER GEAR RELEASE LEVER. WHEN I ASKED THE EXAMINER IF HE WANTED ME TO PUT UP THE GEAR (ON FINAL), IT WAS BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO DEMONSTRATE THE ENTIRE PROC, BUT HIS COMMANDS TO PULL THE EMER GEAR RELEASE LEVER DISTRACTED AND INTIMIDATED ME INTO FOLLOWING HIS DIRECTIONS, OF WHICH THE END RESULT IS EVIDENT. NTSB RULED THIS OCCURRENCE AN INCIDENT. I BELIEVE EXAMINERS SHOULD CONDUCT THEIR CHKRIDES MORE SAFELY!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.