PA23 main gear collapses upon engine start at lgb.

Attributes
ACN	431096
Time
Date	199903
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lgb.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	PA-23 Apache (& Geronimo Apache)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	company : corporate
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 25000
ASRS Report	431096
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Prior to starting the engine, the aircraft was moved from the tie-down position for start-up. Before starting the engines, I intended to put the landing gear lever in the down position. As I reached for the gear lever, I was distraction by a person walking near the airplane. Without rechking the gear lever, the right engine was started and then the left engine was started. The left engine is the one with the hydraulic pump. The right gear retracted causing a propeller strike and minor skin damage. On recovery the left main and nose gear were checked, and were down and locked and both gear indicating lights were on. When the right side was raised, the left gear partly retracted causing minor damage. The left propeller and engine were ok. The plane was repositioned in the tie-down without further problems. Contributing factors: 1) anti-retraction device on this older aircraft did not function. 2) the distraction of someone walking by the plane. Corrective action: 1) doublechk gear lever position and other controls before starting the engines. 2) repair or replace anti-retraction valve. 3) retest the anti-retraction valve during inspections. Not a rptable accident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA23 MAIN GEAR COLLAPSES UPON ENG START AT LGB.

Narrative: PRIOR TO STARTING THE ENG, THE ACFT WAS MOVED FROM THE TIE-DOWN POS FOR START-UP. BEFORE STARTING THE ENGS, I INTENDED TO PUT THE LNDG GEAR LEVER IN THE DOWN POS. AS I REACHED FOR THE GEAR LEVER, I WAS DISTR BY A PERSON WALKING NEAR THE AIRPLANE. WITHOUT RECHKING THE GEAR LEVER, THE R ENG WAS STARTED AND THEN THE L ENG WAS STARTED. THE L ENG IS THE ONE WITH THE HYD PUMP. THE R GEAR RETRACTED CAUSING A PROP STRIKE AND MINOR SKIN DAMAGE. ON RECOVERY THE L MAIN AND NOSE GEAR WERE CHKED, AND WERE DOWN AND LOCKED AND BOTH GEAR INDICATING LIGHTS WERE ON. WHEN THE R SIDE WAS RAISED, THE L GEAR PARTLY RETRACTED CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE. THE L PROP AND ENG WERE OK. THE PLANE WAS REPOSITIONED IN THE TIE-DOWN WITHOUT FURTHER PROBS. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) ANTI-RETRACTION DEVICE ON THIS OLDER ACFT DID NOT FUNCTION. 2) THE DISTR OF SOMEONE WALKING BY THE PLANE. CORRECTIVE ACTION: 1) DOUBLECHK GEAR LEVER POS AND OTHER CTLS BEFORE STARTING THE ENGS. 2) REPAIR OR REPLACE ANTI-RETRACTION VALVE. 3) RETEST THE ANTI-RETRACTION VALVE DURING INSPECTIONS. NOT A RPTABLE ACCIDENT.

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.