GA pilot forgets to check landing gear lever in down position prior to engine start, nose wheel retr...

Attributes
ACN	142409
Time
Date	199004
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : l18
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	ground : preflight other
Flight Plan	VFR
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot
Qualification	pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 16 flight time total : 225 flight time type : 10
ASRS Report	142409
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Upon opening cockpit I found landing gear control lever in the down position. I moved it to where I thought the neutral position was--where I was shown to use the emergency hand pump to open gear doors so as to inspect landing gear and access the engine fuel sump. It had been disconnected from under the INS panel, so you would have to drain furl from above the nose gear doors. After preflight and during the engine start sequence I was told to not worry about the gear handle, that it would return to neutral on engine start--so I didn't adhere to that part of the checklist. When the engine started the nose gear retracted. There was no amended checklist covering the procedure for lowering the gear doors and draining the fuel sump. There was inadequate training concerning the landing gear system and its operation. The pilot operating handbook even states that the landing gear should not retract when sitting on the ground with weight on it. When the engine started, by the time I pulled the throttle all the way back to idle (cracked 1/2'), the gear horn sounded 3 times and nose gear retracted. Causing the propeller to hit the ground on both tips and bending the nose gear doors.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GA PLT FORGETS TO CHECK LNDG GEAR LEVER IN DOWN POSITION PRIOR TO ENGINE START, NOSE WHEEL RETRACTS AT START UP.

Narrative: UPON OPENING COCKPIT I FOUND LNDG GEAR CTL LEVER IN THE DOWN POS. I MOVED IT TO WHERE I THOUGHT THE NEUTRAL POS WAS--WHERE I WAS SHOWN TO USE THE EMER HAND PUMP TO OPEN GEAR DOORS SO AS TO INSPECT LNDG GEAR AND ACCESS THE ENG FUEL SUMP. IT HAD BEEN DISCONNECTED FROM UNDER THE INS PANEL, SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO DRAIN FURL FROM ABOVE THE NOSE GEAR DOORS. AFTER PREFLT AND DURING THE ENG START SEQUENCE I WAS TOLD TO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE GEAR HANDLE, THAT IT WOULD RETURN TO NEUTRAL ON ENG START--SO I DIDN'T ADHERE TO THAT PART OF THE CHKLIST. WHEN THE ENG STARTED THE NOSE GEAR RETRACTED. THERE WAS NO AMENDED CHKLIST COVERING THE PROC FOR LOWERING THE GEAR DOORS AND DRAINING THE FUEL SUMP. THERE WAS INADEQUATE TRNING CONCERNING THE LNDG GEAR SYS AND ITS OPERATION. THE PLT OPERATING HANDBOOK EVEN STATES THAT THE LNDG GEAR SHOULD NOT RETRACT WHEN SITTING ON THE GND WITH WT ON IT. WHEN THE ENG STARTED, BY THE TIME I PULLED THE THROTTLE ALL THE WAY BACK TO IDLE (CRACKED 1/2'), THE GEAR HORN SOUNDED 3 TIMES AND NOSE GEAR RETRACTED. CAUSING THE PROP TO HIT THE GND ON BOTH TIPS AND BENDING THE NOSE GEAR DOORS.

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.

GA pilot forgets to check landing gear lever in down position prior to engine start, nose wheel retracts at start up.