PA-44 seminole's right gear collapses during touch and go landing.

Attributes
ACN	291718
Time
Date	199412
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : swf
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	PA-44 Seminole Turbo Seminole
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 69 flight time total : 1793 flight time type : 82
ASRS Report	291718
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 900 flight time type : 0
ASRS Report	292157
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

We were attempting a touch and go and after landing and rolling out the right main landing gear collapsed with 3 green lights and gear down. All 3 wheels were on the ground. Plane started to drift to the right and then, without warning, it just collapsed. All we could do was ride it out and pull all throttles back and turn off all switches. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the student pilot he was training was a retired air force captain who had flown since world war ii, but only in a C-172 and wasn't familiar with the PA-44 twin. During the touch and go the instructor asked for the flaps up and the student reached and touched the gear handle. The instructor pilot said, 'no' to him as he couldn't reach his hand. The reporter doesn't feel that the other pilot moved the selector and the gear indications did not change from the 3 greens. The postflt inspection showed no gear malfunctions. Reporter stated that the mechanics did perform an 'ab' on the aircraft's landing gear but did not know, nor was he informed, if that 'ab' had anything to do with the right gear collapsing. After the aircraft was back in service the reporter and another instructor pilot looked the gear over and noted that the 'squat switch' was rather tired looking and rusty. Both feel that perhaps the gear handle might have been hit and the squat switch failed in its function in keeping the gear from affecting the sensing on the up mechanism of the gear. Flaps were still down so the full weight of the aircraft was not on the gear, another factor to consider.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA-44 SEMINOLE'S R GEAR COLLAPSES DURING TOUCH AND GO LNDG.

Narrative: WE WERE ATTEMPTING A TOUCH AND GO AND AFTER LNDG AND ROLLING OUT THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR COLLAPSED WITH 3 GREEN LIGHTS AND GEAR DOWN. ALL 3 WHEELS WERE ON THE GND. PLANE STARTED TO DRIFT TO THE R AND THEN, WITHOUT WARNING, IT JUST COLLAPSED. ALL WE COULD DO WAS RIDE IT OUT AND PULL ALL THROTTLES BACK AND TURN OFF ALL SWITCHES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE STUDENT PLT HE WAS TRAINING WAS A RETIRED AIR FORCE CAPT WHO HAD FLOWN SINCE WORLD WAR II, BUT ONLY IN A C-172 AND WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE PA-44 TWIN. DURING THE TOUCH AND GO THE INSTRUCTOR ASKED FOR THE FLAPS UP AND THE STUDENT REACHED AND TOUCHED THE GEAR HANDLE. THE INSTRUCTOR PLT SAID, 'NO' TO HIM AS HE COULDN'T REACH HIS HAND. THE RPTR DOESN'T FEEL THAT THE OTHER PLT MOVED THE SELECTOR AND THE GEAR INDICATIONS DID NOT CHANGE FROM THE 3 GREENS. THE POSTFLT INSPECTION SHOWED NO GEAR MALFUNCTIONS. RPTR STATED THAT THE MECHS DID PERFORM AN 'AB' ON THE ACFT'S LNDG GEAR BUT DID NOT KNOW, NOR WAS HE INFORMED, IF THAT 'AB' HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE R GEAR COLLAPSING. AFTER THE ACFT WAS BACK IN SVC THE RPTR AND ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR PLT LOOKED THE GEAR OVER AND NOTED THAT THE 'SQUAT SWITCH' WAS RATHER TIRED LOOKING AND RUSTY. BOTH FEEL THAT PERHAPS THE GEAR HANDLE MIGHT HAVE BEEN HIT AND THE SQUAT SWITCH FAILED IN ITS FUNCTION IN KEEPING THE GEAR FROM AFFECTING THE SENSING ON THE UP MECHANISM OF THE GEAR. FLAPS WERE STILL DOWN SO THE FULL WT OF THE ACFT WAS NOT ON THE GEAR, ANOTHER FACTOR TO CONSIDER.

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.