Narrative:

During the practice of a 180 degree power-off accuracy landing, the student on the takeoff roll, after the landing had been done, unintentionally retracted the gear. The events that led up to the incident I am not sure, but are merely speculations on my part as the CFI on board. We (me and student) started out at crg attempting to do the 180 degree power off accuracy in the pattern but it was very busy and we decided to go to K55J. At about XA20 we were entering the pattern at fernandina and were going to do the maneuver. We were making radio calls on CTAF and entered a left downwind for runway 8 at K55J. I pointed out the touchdown point on the runway and the student confirmed this. Abeam the point, I pulled the power to idle (also upon entering the downwind the gear was put down and we both confirmed green light 1 wheel in the window) and the student turned very easily and was high by the time he turned final. He put in flaps and was still high and was going to overshoot his touchdown point. He requested a go around and I agreed and we went around flying upwind. On the next attempt with the same touchdown point (before reaching the point the gear was already down with a green light and 1 wheel in the window), I pulled the power to idle again and this time the student seemed to have the approach set up better and was a little high on final. He put in some flaps and got on the approach path that would have put his wheels on the specified point. But he overflared and landed a little long but still within pts. On the go he put his hands on the flaps and said flaps up. I responded with flaps up. The carburetor heat was already in and the student added in power and we began to roll down the runway. I began to focus on the outside of the aircraft making sure the student was maintaining centerline. At this point, I saw in my peripheral vision the student's hand move off the throttle. By the time I had a chance to react, the student was bringing the gear up with all 3 wheels still on the runway. As I was reaching for the student's hand he immediately slammed the gear selector to the 'down' position, but it was too late. The nosewheel began to fall and the propeller began to strike the runway. Then I focused on the problem at hand, pulled the power to idle and maintained directional control. After we came to a stop and the aircraft was secure, I made emergency calls on the CTAF closing runway 8 at K55J. We got out of the aircraft and I asked my student what was he thinking. He stated that he thought he was putting in the carburetor heat.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: C172RG FLT CREW INADVERTENTLY RETRACTS THE LNDG GEAR DURING A PRACTICE LNDG AT 55J.

Narrative: DURING THE PRACTICE OF A 180 DEG PWR-OFF ACCURACY LNDG, THE STUDENT ON THE TKOF ROLL, AFTER THE LNDG HAD BEEN DONE, UNINTENTIONALLY RETRACTED THE GEAR. THE EVENTS THAT LED UP TO THE INCIDENT I AM NOT SURE, BUT ARE MERELY SPECULATIONS ON MY PART AS THE CFI ON BOARD. WE (ME AND STUDENT) STARTED OUT AT CRG ATTEMPTING TO DO THE 180 DEG PWR OFF ACCURACY IN THE PATTERN BUT IT WAS VERY BUSY AND WE DECIDED TO GO TO K55J. AT ABOUT XA20 WE WERE ENTERING THE PATTERN AT FERNANDINA AND WERE GOING TO DO THE MANEUVER. WE WERE MAKING RADIO CALLS ON CTAF AND ENTERED A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 8 AT K55J. I POINTED OUT THE TOUCHDOWN POINT ON THE RWY AND THE STUDENT CONFIRMED THIS. ABEAM THE POINT, I PULLED THE PWR TO IDLE (ALSO UPON ENTERING THE DOWNWIND THE GEAR WAS PUT DOWN AND WE BOTH CONFIRMED GREEN LIGHT 1 WHEEL IN THE WINDOW) AND THE STUDENT TURNED VERY EASILY AND WAS HIGH BY THE TIME HE TURNED FINAL. HE PUT IN FLAPS AND WAS STILL HIGH AND WAS GOING TO OVERSHOOT HIS TOUCHDOWN POINT. HE REQUESTED A GAR AND I AGREED AND WE WENT AROUND FLYING UPWIND. ON THE NEXT ATTEMPT WITH THE SAME TOUCHDOWN POINT (BEFORE REACHING THE POINT THE GEAR WAS ALREADY DOWN WITH A GREEN LIGHT AND 1 WHEEL IN THE WINDOW), I PULLED THE PWR TO IDLE AGAIN AND THIS TIME THE STUDENT SEEMED TO HAVE THE APCH SET UP BETTER AND WAS A LITTLE HIGH ON FINAL. HE PUT IN SOME FLAPS AND GOT ON THE APCH PATH THAT WOULD HAVE PUT HIS WHEELS ON THE SPECIFIED POINT. BUT HE OVERFLARED AND LANDED A LITTLE LONG BUT STILL WITHIN PTS. ON THE GO HE PUT HIS HANDS ON THE FLAPS AND SAID FLAPS UP. I RESPONDED WITH FLAPS UP. THE CARB HEAT WAS ALREADY IN AND THE STUDENT ADDED IN PWR AND WE BEGAN TO ROLL DOWN THE RWY. I BEGAN TO FOCUS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE ACFT MAKING SURE THE STUDENT WAS MAINTAINING CTRLINE. AT THIS POINT, I SAW IN MY PERIPHERAL VISION THE STUDENT'S HAND MOVE OFF THE THROTTLE. BY THE TIME I HAD A CHANCE TO REACT, THE STUDENT WAS BRINGING THE GEAR UP WITH ALL 3 WHEELS STILL ON THE RWY. AS I WAS REACHING FOR THE STUDENT'S HAND HE IMMEDIATELY SLAMMED THE GEAR SELECTOR TO THE 'DOWN' POS, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE. THE NOSEWHEEL BEGAN TO FALL AND THE PROP BEGAN TO STRIKE THE RWY. THEN I FOCUSED ON THE PROB AT HAND, PULLED THE PWR TO IDLE AND MAINTAINED DIRECTIONAL CTL. AFTER WE CAME TO A STOP AND THE ACFT WAS SECURE, I MADE EMER CALLS ON THE CTAF CLOSING RWY 8 AT K55J. WE GOT OUT OF THE ACFT AND I ASKED MY STUDENT WHAT WAS HE THINKING. HE STATED THAT HE THOUGHT HE WAS PUTTING IN THE CARB HEAT.

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.