Narrative:

I flew from GGG to panola county-sharpe field to practice NDB approachs and touch and goes in a beech baron be-55. On the first approach, I checked the landing gear indicator light (only one is available) 3 times and had a green indication each time. The subsequent landing was uneventful. Upon starting the takeoff roll, I went to retract the flaps prior to increasing power. In the baron, the flap switch is on the left side of the throttle quadrant and the gear switch is on the right hand side. I reached over to the far right and selected gear up instead of flaps up. The gear started to retract immediately. I do not recall any warning horn either when I first actuated the switch or when the aircraft finally came to a full stop on the runway. The full weight of the aircraft should have been on the landing at the time I inadvertently actuated the switch but the squat switch obviously did not save the situation. I have relatively low time in the aircraft, and there is no doubt that that has some bearing on cockpit familiarity. In view of the fact that I had not flown a twin in over 5 yrs, I was interested in increasing my proficiency as much as possible. I spent over 7 hours 'flying' a frasca 142 simulator programmed to simulate a beech baron. The one significant fact here is that the frasca, in contrast to the baron, has the gear switch to the left of the throttle quadrant and the flap switch to the right of the quadrant. I believe that this set up an instinctive reaction to reach to the far right to retract the flaps when operating in a rushed situation. Simulators can be great tools, but this level of simulator cannot replace the actual aircraft because of its limitations. They can simulate some sits very well, but others, such as specific cockpit procedures are simulated poorly. With this kept in the forefront of one's mind during simulator training, one can use the simulator to the best of its capability and no more. There is rarely a situation that requires undue rushing. I should have slowed down, taken the time to make well thought out actions and then evaluated takeoff room available once configured properly. There was plenty of time and room to abort the takeoff and taxi back. The common thread running through these factors is shortcuts. In an effort to learn the aircraft in minimum time and money, I jeopardized the flight by taking shortcuts in familiarization and trying to save time by rushing.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF AN SMT TWIN INADVERTENTLY RAISED THE LNDG GEAR INSTEAD OF THE FLAPS DURING A TOUCH AND GO LNDG.

Narrative: I FLEW FROM GGG TO PANOLA COUNTY-SHARPE FIELD TO PRACTICE NDB APCHS AND TOUCH AND GOES IN A BEECH BARON BE-55. ON THE FIRST APCH, I CHKED THE LNDG GEAR INDICATOR LIGHT (ONLY ONE IS AVAILABLE) 3 TIMES AND HAD A GREEN INDICATION EACH TIME. THE SUBSEQUENT LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. UPON STARTING THE TKOF ROLL, I WENT TO RETRACT THE FLAPS PRIOR TO INCREASING PWR. IN THE BARON, THE FLAP SWITCH IS ON THE L SIDE OF THE THROTTLE QUADRANT AND THE GEAR SWITCH IS ON THE R HAND SIDE. I REACHED OVER TO THE FAR R AND SELECTED GEAR UP INSTEAD OF FLAPS UP. THE GEAR STARTED TO RETRACT IMMEDIATELY. I DO NOT RECALL ANY WARNING HORN EITHER WHEN I FIRST ACTUATED THE SWITCH OR WHEN THE ACFT FINALLY CAME TO A FULL STOP ON THE RWY. THE FULL WT OF THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ON THE LNDG AT THE TIME I INADVERTENTLY ACTUATED THE SWITCH BUT THE SQUAT SWITCH OBVIOUSLY DID NOT SAVE THE SIT. I HAVE RELATIVELY LOW TIME IN THE ACFT, AND THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THAT HAS SOME BEARING ON COCKPIT FAMILIARITY. IN VIEW OF THE FACT THAT I HAD NOT FLOWN A TWIN IN OVER 5 YRS, I WAS INTERESTED IN INCREASING MY PROFICIENCY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. I SPENT OVER 7 HRS 'FLYING' A FRASCA 142 SIMULATOR PROGRAMMED TO SIMULATE A BEECH BARON. THE ONE SIGNIFICANT FACT HERE IS THAT THE FRASCA, IN CONTRAST TO THE BARON, HAS THE GEAR SWITCH TO THE L OF THE THROTTLE QUADRANT AND THE FLAP SWITCH TO THE R OF THE QUADRANT. I BELIEVE THAT THIS SET UP AN INSTINCTIVE REACTION TO REACH TO THE FAR R TO RETRACT THE FLAPS WHEN OPERATING IN A RUSHED SIT. SIMULATORS CAN BE GREAT TOOLS, BUT THIS LEVEL OF SIMULATOR CANNOT REPLACE THE ACTUAL ACFT BECAUSE OF ITS LIMITATIONS. THEY CAN SIMULATE SOME SITS VERY WELL, BUT OTHERS, SUCH AS SPECIFIC COCKPIT PROCS ARE SIMULATED POORLY. WITH THIS KEPT IN THE FOREFRONT OF ONE'S MIND DURING SIMULATOR TRAINING, ONE CAN USE THE SIMULATOR TO THE BEST OF ITS CAPABILITY AND NO MORE. THERE IS RARELY A SIT THAT REQUIRES UNDUE RUSHING. I SHOULD HAVE SLOWED DOWN, TAKEN THE TIME TO MAKE WELL THOUGHT OUT ACTIONS AND THEN EVALUATED TKOF ROOM AVAILABLE ONCE CONFIGURED PROPERLY. THERE WAS PLENTY OF TIME AND ROOM TO ABORT THE TKOF AND TAXI BACK. THE COMMON THREAD RUNNING THROUGH THESE FACTORS IS SHORTCUTS. IN AN EFFORT TO LEARN THE ACFT IN MINIMUM TIME AND MONEY, I JEOPARDIZED THE FLT BY TAKING SHORTCUTS IN FAMILIARIZATION AND TRYING TO SAVE TIME BY RUSHING.

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.