Narrative:

My student and I were on a training flight from beaver county airport (bvi). We were going to do some touch-and- goes on runway 28. We took off and made left traffic. We turned the downwind and then we turned final and went through a final gumps check, checked our altitude, lowered the flaps, and proceeded for a touch-and-go. My student touched down on the mains then on the nosewheel. I said 'ok, let's go.' I turned my head for a moment and then brought it back inside. I saw my student's hand move toward the power levers when I noticed the gear-in-transit light flashing. I said 'no!' and my student caught what had happened to the gear lever handle and he moved it to the down position. I then noticed that the nose started to go down and I knew that we would be unable to add power and go around. I then proceeded to close the mixture and I believe that is when the propellers struck the surface and the nose began to scrape the runway. The airplane skidded for about 1000 ft and then came to a rest near turnoff charlie. I turned everything off and my student and I exited the airplane. After the flight, I asked my student what had happened and he said the sleeve on his coat caught the gear handle. He realized what had happened and put the gear handle down but it was too late and the nose gear came up. What may correct this event from happening again is not to wear a winter coat that does not have elastic on the sleeves. That was the type of coat my student had on that day. Also, the gear handle should have been designed better. It should have a knob on the end that resembles a wheel and it should be located in a better position. The lever should be placed somewhere on the instrument panel such as on the mooney 2015E. This would prevent the gear coming up prematurely because nothing would interfere with it, such as a sleeve or a knee bumping it. Another solution is to have a squawk switch on one of the main landing gear instead of on the airspeed indicator. The be-76 has a system such as this and with a squawk switch on the gear (main), the event I described above may have been avoided.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TRAINEE OF AN SMA TWIN ENG ACFT INADVERTENTLY RETRACTED THE LNDG GEAR DURING A PRACTICE TOUCH AND GO LNDG TKOF.

Narrative: MY STUDENT AND I WERE ON A TRAINING FLT FROM BEAVER COUNTY ARPT (BVI). WE WERE GOING TO DO SOME TOUCH-AND- GOES ON RWY 28. WE TOOK OFF AND MADE L TFC. WE TURNED THE DOWNWIND AND THEN WE TURNED FINAL AND WENT THROUGH A FINAL GUMPS CHK, CHKED OUR ALT, LOWERED THE FLAPS, AND PROCEEDED FOR A TOUCH-AND-GO. MY STUDENT TOUCHED DOWN ON THE MAINS THEN ON THE NOSEWHEEL. I SAID 'OK, LET'S GO.' I TURNED MY HEAD FOR A MOMENT AND THEN BROUGHT IT BACK INSIDE. I SAW MY STUDENT'S HAND MOVE TOWARD THE PWR LEVERS WHEN I NOTICED THE GEAR-IN-TRANSIT LIGHT FLASHING. I SAID 'NO!' AND MY STUDENT CAUGHT WHAT HAD HAPPENED TO THE GEAR LEVER HANDLE AND HE MOVED IT TO THE DOWN POS. I THEN NOTICED THAT THE NOSE STARTED TO GO DOWN AND I KNEW THAT WE WOULD BE UNABLE TO ADD PWR AND GAR. I THEN PROCEEDED TO CLOSE THE MIXTURE AND I BELIEVE THAT IS WHEN THE PROPS STRUCK THE SURFACE AND THE NOSE BEGAN TO SCRAPE THE RWY. THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED FOR ABOUT 1000 FT AND THEN CAME TO A REST NEAR TURNOFF CHARLIE. I TURNED EVERYTHING OFF AND MY STUDENT AND I EXITED THE AIRPLANE. AFTER THE FLT, I ASKED MY STUDENT WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND HE SAID THE SLEEVE ON HIS COAT CAUGHT THE GEAR HANDLE. HE REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND PUT THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN BUT IT WAS TOO LATE AND THE NOSE GEAR CAME UP. WHAT MAY CORRECT THIS EVENT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN IS NOT TO WEAR A WINTER COAT THAT DOES NOT HAVE ELASTIC ON THE SLEEVES. THAT WAS THE TYPE OF COAT MY STUDENT HAD ON THAT DAY. ALSO, THE GEAR HANDLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DESIGNED BETTER. IT SHOULD HAVE A KNOB ON THE END THAT RESEMBLES A WHEEL AND IT SHOULD BE LOCATED IN A BETTER POS. THE LEVER SHOULD BE PLACED SOMEWHERE ON THE INST PANEL SUCH AS ON THE MOONEY 2015E. THIS WOULD PREVENT THE GEAR COMING UP PREMATURELY BECAUSE NOTHING WOULD INTERFERE WITH IT, SUCH AS A SLEEVE OR A KNEE BUMPING IT. ANOTHER SOLUTION IS TO HAVE A SQUAWK SWITCH ON ONE OF THE MAIN LNDG GEAR INSTEAD OF ON THE AIRSPD INDICATOR. THE BE-76 HAS A SYS SUCH AS THIS AND WITH A SQUAWK SWITCH ON THE GEAR (MAIN), THE EVENT I DESCRIBED ABOVE MAY HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.

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.