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PA34 trainee engages gear switch instead of flaps switch, causing gear retraction during landing roll out.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 556468 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200208 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : mwl.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | PA-34-200T Turbo Seneca II |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | landing : roll |
| Flight Plan | VFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : instructor |
| Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : cfi pilot : atp pilot : multi engine |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 29 flight time total : 2491 flight time type : 9.2 |
| ASRS Report | 556468 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | other |
| Function | instruction : trainee |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : insufficient time |
| Consequence | faa : investigated other other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
Narrative:
After 2 hours flight instructions, the student landed the aircraft and flipped up the gear switch on rollout. The nose and right main gear retracted immediately causing damage to the nose, both propellers, and right wingtip. The FAA has decided that due to minimal damage, this was an incident, and not an accident. Contributing factors include the fact that on a seneca, the gear switch is on the left side of the throttle quadrant, right next to the pilot's hand on the throttle. Also a contributing factor was the fact that the student was a high time complex aircraft pilot, and the seneca had a gear switch and flap bar -- thus reducing my fear of an inadvertent gear up after landing (not 2 similar switches to confuse, as on a bonanza or baron). Corrective action: in the future, I will insist that nothing is to be done until exiting the runway safely, and I will keep my hand on the gear switch until that time when the flaps are retracted. I may refuse to instruct in aircraft with gear switches poorly located, such as the seneca, as it is nearly impossible to protect the switch from inadvertent retraction without causing other risks to safety of flight.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: PA34 TRAINEE ENGAGES GEAR SWITCH INSTEAD OF FLAPS SWITCH, CAUSING GEAR RETRACTION DURING LNDG ROLL OUT.
Narrative: AFTER 2 HRS FLT INSTRUCTIONS, THE STUDENT LANDED THE ACFT AND FLIPPED UP THE GEAR SWITCH ON ROLLOUT. THE NOSE AND R MAIN GEAR RETRACTED IMMEDIATELY CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE NOSE, BOTH PROPS, AND R WINGTIP. THE FAA HAS DECIDED THAT DUE TO MINIMAL DAMAGE, THIS WAS AN INCIDENT, AND NOT AN ACCIDENT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE THE FACT THAT ON A SENECA, THE GEAR SWITCH IS ON THE L SIDE OF THE THROTTLE QUADRANT, RIGHT NEXT TO THE PLT'S HAND ON THE THROTTLE. ALSO A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE FACT THAT THE STUDENT WAS A HIGH TIME COMPLEX ACFT PLT, AND THE SENECA HAD A GEAR SWITCH AND FLAP BAR -- THUS REDUCING MY FEAR OF AN INADVERTENT GEAR UP AFTER LNDG (NOT 2 SIMILAR SWITCHES TO CONFUSE, AS ON A BONANZA OR BARON). CORRECTIVE ACTION: IN THE FUTURE, I WILL INSIST THAT NOTHING IS TO BE DONE UNTIL EXITING THE RWY SAFELY, AND I WILL KEEP MY HAND ON THE GEAR SWITCH UNTIL THAT TIME WHEN THE FLAPS ARE RETRACTED. I MAY REFUSE TO INSTRUCT IN ACFT WITH GEAR SWITCHES POORLY LOCATED, SUCH AS THE SENECA, AS IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PROTECT THE SWITCH FROM INADVERTENT RETRACTION WITHOUT CAUSING OTHER RISKS TO SAFETY 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.