Narrative:

The problem arose while executing a takeoff roll on runway 34R. Seconds after applying full power, the nose gear collapsed. The nose of the aircraft and the propellers struck the ground. The aircraft skidded further down the runway, then the main gear collapsed. The plane came to a rest on the runway, left of centerline. I estimate from the start of the takeoff roll, to finish of the skid, was around 1300 ft. The gear collapsed well prior to the aircraft's rotation speed. After the crash and rescue team had secured the aircraft, I was allowed to enter the aircraft to get some personal items. I did notice that the landing gear handle was in the up position -- the landing gear was retracted when the plane hopped on the small waves of the pavement. This hop caused the squat switch on the landing gear to open, allowing power to the electric gear motor. Although there is an audible gear unsafe warning horn, it was never activated due to the higher throttle settings used for taxi and takeoff. The horn is activated when the throttles are pulled back almost all the way to the aft detents. I feel that the cause of this occurrence was an inadvertent placement of the gear knob in the up position. This misplacement could have come from my accidentally brushing up against the knob upon entry of the plane, my hitting the knob with a binder I carry in the front of the plane, etc. There is also a chance that someone else had entered the aircraft and was moving switches around. I am sure that I didn't move the knob with my hands. A contributing factor that might have caused me to overlook the position of the gear was a stuck microphone that I tangled with during the initial taxi. Though there were a multitude of things that might have worked against me as far as noticing the misplacement of the landing gear knob (such as the small size of the knob, it's location on the instrument panel, the lack of warning lights, audibles, etc), I feel that it is my responsibility to check and double-check the placement of all switches, knobs, and controls while entering and exiting different phases of flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE58 FREIGHT PLT APPLIED FULL TKOF PWR WITHOUT THE REALIZATION THAT THE LNDG GEAR KNOB WAS SELECTED IN THE UP POS. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED BEFORE ROTATION.

Narrative: THE PROB AROSE WHILE EXECUTING A TKOF ROLL ON RWY 34R. SECONDS AFTER APPLYING FULL PWR, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE NOSE OF THE ACFT AND THE PROPS STRUCK THE GND. THE ACFT SKIDDED FURTHER DOWN THE RWY, THEN THE MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. THE PLANE CAME TO A REST ON THE RWY, L OF CTRLINE. I ESTIMATE FROM THE START OF THE TKOF ROLL, TO FINISH OF THE SKID, WAS AROUND 1300 FT. THE GEAR COLLAPSED WELL PRIOR TO THE ACFT'S ROTATION SPD. AFTER THE CRASH AND RESCUE TEAM HAD SECURED THE ACFT, I WAS ALLOWED TO ENTER THE ACFT TO GET SOME PERSONAL ITEMS. I DID NOTICE THAT THE LNDG GEAR HANDLE WAS IN THE UP POS -- THE LNDG GEAR WAS RETRACTED WHEN THE PLANE HOPPED ON THE SMALL WAVES OF THE PAVEMENT. THIS HOP CAUSED THE SQUAT SWITCH ON THE LNDG GEAR TO OPEN, ALLOWING PWR TO THE ELECTRIC GEAR MOTOR. ALTHOUGH THERE IS AN AUDIBLE GEAR UNSAFE WARNING HORN, IT WAS NEVER ACTIVATED DUE TO THE HIGHER THROTTLE SETTINGS USED FOR TAXI AND TKOF. THE HORN IS ACTIVATED WHEN THE THROTTLES ARE PULLED BACK ALMOST ALL THE WAY TO THE AFT DETENTS. I FEEL THAT THE CAUSE OF THIS OCCURRENCE WAS AN INADVERTENT PLACEMENT OF THE GEAR KNOB IN THE UP POS. THIS MISPLACEMENT COULD HAVE COME FROM MY ACCIDENTALLY BRUSHING UP AGAINST THE KNOB UPON ENTRY OF THE PLANE, MY HITTING THE KNOB WITH A BINDER I CARRY IN THE FRONT OF THE PLANE, ETC. THERE IS ALSO A CHANCE THAT SOMEONE ELSE HAD ENTERED THE ACFT AND WAS MOVING SWITCHES AROUND. I AM SURE THAT I DIDN'T MOVE THE KNOB WITH MY HANDS. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR THAT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED ME TO OVERLOOK THE POS OF THE GEAR WAS A STUCK MIKE THAT I TANGLED WITH DURING THE INITIAL TAXI. THOUGH THERE WERE A MULTITUDE OF THINGS THAT MIGHT HAVE WORKED AGAINST ME AS FAR AS NOTICING THE MISPLACEMENT OF THE LNDG GEAR KNOB (SUCH AS THE SMALL SIZE OF THE KNOB, IT'S LOCATION ON THE INST PANEL, THE LACK OF WARNING LIGHTS, AUDIBLES, ETC), I FEEL THAT IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO CHK AND DOUBLE-CHK THE PLACEMENT OF ALL SWITCHES, KNOBS, AND CTLS WHILE ENTERING AND EXITING DIFFERENT PHASES OF FLT.

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.