Narrative:

On jun/sat/00, an incident occurred involving a single engine piper comanche (PA24-180), during the takeoff roll, after a single 'touch and go' landing. The PIC was mr X. I have a private pilot certificate and a logbook endorsement to fly this aircraft. On the date of the incident, I was a passenger. Prior to the flight, all checklist items were completed and a successful run-up of system was conducted by the PIC. Before taking to the active runway 9C, sanford tower cleared our aircraft for the requested 'touch and go.' the takeoff roll, traffic pattern maneuvers, final approach, and landing of the flight were accomplished with complete competence by the PIC. The incident occurred after a successful landing, prior to rotation, during the power up and acceleration for the ensuing takeoff. It was at this point of the flight that the PIC asked me to handle the 'gear and flaps.' my focus at this time was on reviewing the pre-takeoff checklist. I heard the request and acknowledged the request with 'I got gear and flaps.' as the power was being applied for takeoff my attention went back to engine gauges to insure a green indication of engine functions. My attention and focus was on the inside of the cockpit when I heard a request for 'gear up.' my hand and attention went to the landing gear switch and moved it upwards. As the gear switch hit the safety notch, my eyes went outside the airplane cockpit. It was at this instant that I realized the aircraft had not rotated yet. I immediately threw the switch to the down position. I can only speculate that, before the gear switch movement reversed downward, the momentum upward triggered the gear motor to retract the gear. The aircraft not having sufficient speed settled to the runway. After the aircraft came to a stop, all checklist items were completed to secure the aircraft. Evacuate/evacuation of the cockpit took place without further incident or injury. Contributing factors to the incident were 2 pilots involved in critical functions of the landing/takeoff phase of flight that should be primary responsibilities of the PIC. Supplemental information from acn 476394: the passenger pilot activated the gear prior to rotation causing the incident. At the time of this incident, there was no evidence of the manual gear landing switch to be operated by either the pilot or passenger. Prior to submitting this report, it was discovered that the incident was human error.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA24-180 COMANCHE PLT ALLOWS THE PAX TO RAISE THE GEAR WHILE THE ACFT IS STILL ON THE RWY DURING A TOUCH AND GO. PAX HEARD THE COMMAND FOR 'GEAR UP' AT SFB, FL.

Narrative: ON JUN/SAT/00, AN INCIDENT OCCURRED INVOLVING A SINGLE ENG PIPER COMANCHE (PA24-180), DURING THE TKOF ROLL, AFTER A SINGLE 'TOUCH AND GO' LNDG. THE PIC WAS MR X. I HAVE A PVT PLT CERTIFICATE AND A LOGBOOK ENDORSEMENT TO FLY THIS ACFT. ON THE DATE OF THE INCIDENT, I WAS A PAX. PRIOR TO THE FLT, ALL CHKLIST ITEMS WERE COMPLETED AND A SUCCESSFUL RUN-UP OF SYS WAS CONDUCTED BY THE PIC. BEFORE TAKING TO THE ACTIVE RWY 9C, SANFORD TWR CLRED OUR ACFT FOR THE REQUESTED 'TOUCH AND GO.' THE TKOF ROLL, TFC PATTERN MANEUVERS, FINAL APCH, AND LNDG OF THE FLT WERE ACCOMPLISHED WITH COMPLETE COMPETENCE BY THE PIC. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AFTER A SUCCESSFUL LNDG, PRIOR TO ROTATION, DURING THE PWR UP AND ACCELERATION FOR THE ENSUING TKOF. IT WAS AT THIS POINT OF THE FLT THAT THE PIC ASKED ME TO HANDLE THE 'GEAR AND FLAPS.' MY FOCUS AT THIS TIME WAS ON REVIEWING THE PRE-TKOF CHKLIST. I HEARD THE REQUEST AND ACKNOWLEDGED THE REQUEST WITH 'I GOT GEAR AND FLAPS.' AS THE PWR WAS BEING APPLIED FOR TKOF MY ATTN WENT BACK TO ENG GAUGES TO INSURE A GREEN INDICATION OF ENG FUNCTIONS. MY ATTN AND FOCUS WAS ON THE INSIDE OF THE COCKPIT WHEN I HEARD A REQUEST FOR 'GEAR UP.' MY HAND AND ATTN WENT TO THE LNDG GEAR SWITCH AND MOVED IT UPWARDS. AS THE GEAR SWITCH HIT THE SAFETY NOTCH, MY EYES WENT OUTSIDE THE AIRPLANE COCKPIT. IT WAS AT THIS INSTANT THAT I REALIZED THE ACFT HAD NOT ROTATED YET. I IMMEDIATELY THREW THE SWITCH TO THE DOWN POS. I CAN ONLY SPECULATE THAT, BEFORE THE GEAR SWITCH MOVEMENT REVERSED DOWNWARD, THE MOMENTUM UPWARD TRIGGERED THE GEAR MOTOR TO RETRACT THE GEAR. THE ACFT NOT HAVING SUFFICIENT SPD SETTLED TO THE RWY. AFTER THE ACFT CAME TO A STOP, ALL CHKLIST ITEMS WERE COMPLETED TO SECURE THE ACFT. EVAC OF THE COCKPIT TOOK PLACE WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT OR INJURY. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THE INCIDENT WERE 2 PLTS INVOLVED IN CRITICAL FUNCTIONS OF THE LNDG/TKOF PHASE OF FLT THAT SHOULD BE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE PIC. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 476394: THE PAX PLT ACTIVATED THE GEAR PRIOR TO ROTATION CAUSING THE INCIDENT. AT THE TIME OF THIS INCIDENT, THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF THE MANUAL GEAR LNDG SWITCH TO BE OPERATED BY EITHER THE PLT OR PAX. PRIOR TO SUBMITTING THIS RPT, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE INCIDENT WAS HUMAN ERROR.

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.