Commuter light transport landing gear was retracted while the aircraft was parked at gate.

Attributes
ACN	150069
Time
Date	199007
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, High Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 2600 flight time type : 700
ASRS Report	150069
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Mechanics were on board doing a check on the aircraft. I got on board to pick up the clearance and stow my gear. We were just swapping into this aircraft. The mechanic outside of the plane to my right signalled for gear up. I queried with hand signals and verbally through the window, 'gear up?', and it was confirmed. Believing the aircraft to be secure, and having swung the gear twice in the past while on the ground for mechanics, I lifted the gear to the up position. The aircraft was not secure however, and the plane crashed onto the ramp. No one was hurt. The problem was lack of communication, pilot being asked to do a maintenance function while the aircraft was under maintenance control. My action was based on my past experiences, a belief that the aircraft had been secured (which it was not), and lack of communication. Hand signals are not safe in these instances. I also believe my preconditioning to select the gear up while on the ground by maintenance led to my too quickly responding to the request before verifying it was indeed what they wanted, or checking that the aircraft was indeed secure.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT LNDG GEAR WAS RETRACTED WHILE THE ACFT WAS PARKED AT GATE.

Narrative: MECHS WERE ON BOARD DOING A CHK ON THE ACFT. I GOT ON BOARD TO PICK UP THE CLRNC AND STOW MY GEAR. WE WERE JUST SWAPPING INTO THIS ACFT. THE MECH OUTSIDE OF THE PLANE TO MY RIGHT SIGNALLED FOR GEAR UP. I QUERIED WITH HAND SIGNALS AND VERBALLY THROUGH THE WINDOW, 'GEAR UP?', AND IT WAS CONFIRMED. BELIEVING THE ACFT TO BE SECURE, AND HAVING SWUNG THE GEAR TWICE IN THE PAST WHILE ON THE GND FOR MECHS, I LIFTED THE GEAR TO THE UP POS. THE ACFT WAS NOT SECURE HOWEVER, AND THE PLANE CRASHED ONTO THE RAMP. NO ONE WAS HURT. THE PROB WAS LACK OF COM, PLT BEING ASKED TO DO A MAINT FUNCTION WHILE THE ACFT WAS UNDER MAINT CTL. MY ACTION WAS BASED ON MY PAST EXPERIENCES, A BELIEF THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN SECURED (WHICH IT WAS NOT), AND LACK OF COM. HAND SIGNALS ARE NOT SAFE IN THESE INSTANCES. I ALSO BELIEVE MY PRECONDITIONING TO SELECT THE GEAR UP WHILE ON THE GND BY MAINT LED TO MY TOO QUICKLY RESPONDING TO THE REQUEST BEFORE VERIFYING IT WAS INDEED WHAT THEY WANTED, OR CHKING THAT THE ACFT WAS INDEED SECURE.

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.