Narrative:

The flight was normal up to the point of touchdown. Immediately after the nose wheel touched down, the airplane swerved violently to the right. I applied hard left rudder; the airplane responded to the left, and again violently to the right. The nose then dropped, and the propeller began striking the runway. The airplane came to rest approximately 400 ft from the point of touchdown with the nose and right wing off the runway to the right; the left wing and tail remained on the runway. As the airplane came to a stop, I shut off the mags and battery switch and evacuated. Apparent inadvertent gear retraction caused this incident. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states this was a photo mission and reporter was flying right seat as the only window is on the left. Photographer is certificated pilot and checked out in the aircraft. During preflight briefing reporter schooled photographer that the only set of brakes was on left side and he would be responsible for braking on landing. After landing, on roll, reporter reminded photographer to apply brakes. Photographer got very excited. This is when aircraft started swerving. Reporter feels photographer pulled the gear switch in up position and even photographed it. FAA was called by FBO at the airport. They ultimately offered to 'settle' for remedial if reporter requested it. He did.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SMA HAD GEAR COLLAPSE ON LNDG ROLL, LOSS OF CTL, RWY EXCURSION.

Narrative: THE FLT WAS NORMAL UP TO THE POINT OF TOUCHDOWN. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE NOSE WHEEL TOUCHED DOWN, THE AIRPLANE SWERVED VIOLENTLY TO THE R. I APPLIED HARD L RUDDER; THE AIRPLANE RESPONDED TO THE L, AND AGAIN VIOLENTLY TO THE R. THE NOSE THEN DROPPED, AND THE PROP BEGAN STRIKING THE RWY. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST APPROX 400 FT FROM THE POINT OF TOUCHDOWN WITH THE NOSE AND R WING OFF THE RWY TO THE R; THE L WING AND TAIL REMAINED ON THE RWY. AS THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP, I SHUT OFF THE MAGS AND BATTERY SWITCH AND EVACUATED. APPARENT INADVERTENT GEAR RETRACTION CAUSED THIS INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES THIS WAS A PHOTO MISSION AND RPTR WAS FLYING R SEAT AS THE ONLY WINDOW IS ON THE L. PHOTOGRAPHER IS CERTIFICATED PLT AND CHKED OUT IN THE ACFT. DURING PREFLT BRIEFING RPTR SCHOOLED PHOTOGRAPHER THAT THE ONLY SET OF BRAKES WAS ON L SIDE AND HE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR BRAKING ON LNDG. AFTER LNDG, ON ROLL, RPTR REMINDED PHOTOGRAPHER TO APPLY BRAKES. PHOTOGRAPHER GOT VERY EXCITED. THIS IS WHEN ACFT STARTED SWERVING. RPTR FEELS PHOTOGRAPHER PULLED THE GEAR SWITCH IN UP POS AND EVEN PHOTOGRAPHED IT. FAA WAS CALLED BY FBO AT THE ARPT. THEY ULTIMATELY OFFERED TO 'SETTLE' FOR REMEDIAL IF RPTR REQUESTED IT. HE DID.

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.