Narrative:

I was conducting a flight lesson with a CFI applicant with the applicant sitting in the right seat of a C172RG. We departed ttd at XA45 and flew 14 NM s-se to S48 to conduct a lesson on short field landing procedures. I was flying the aircraft and demonstrated a short field approach with a normal touchdown and continued the 'touch and go' to have the applicant demonstrate the same procedure. The applicant then demonstrated the same procedure with a short field approach and landing. It was during the takeoff portion of the procedure when the problem arose. During the takeoff run, I was focusing on centerline control and airspeed. As the aircraft approached rotation speed, I noticed the nose dropping below its normal position and immediately grabbed the controls to bring the nose back up. I heard a scraping sound and knew that it must have been the propeller striking the asphalt, but we were about out of runway at this point, so I continued the takeoff. During the climb out, there was no vibration and the engine was producing sufficient power to climb, so I continued to climb. Once the aircraft reached a safe altitude, I had more time to think about our options. At this point, the engine continued to produce sufficient power without vibration so I chose to follow lower flatter terrain back to troutdale and landed normally. Evidently, as the applicant brought the flaps up and pushed the carburetor heat in, he also selected gear up. During the takeoff run, the squat switch kept the gear from retracting until there was enough weight off of the nose. I feel that my actions were very appropriate for the situation because if I would have allowed the aircraft back down onto the ground, we would have ended up in the trees at the end of the runway. To prevent this type of occurrence from happening in the future I would: 1) protect the gear selector any time the gear is extended, and 2) choose to only do stop and go's in aircraft with retractable gear. I feel that factors that may have contributed to this situation may have been: 1) the applicant did not identify and verify the controls before he engaged them.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DURING TOUCH AND GO, TRAINEE PLT INADVERTENTLY HIT GEAR SWITCH WHEN PUSHING IN CARB HEAT. WHEN WT OF THE ACFT BEGAN COMING OFF THE GEAR, IT CAME UP WITH PROP STRIKING RWY. INSTRUCTOR PLT TOOK OVER AND FLEW THE ACFT BACK TO ITS BASE.

Narrative: I WAS CONDUCTING A FLT LESSON WITH A CFI APPLICANT WITH THE APPLICANT SITTING IN THE R SEAT OF A C172RG. WE DEPARTED TTD AT XA45 AND FLEW 14 NM S-SE TO S48 TO CONDUCT A LESSON ON SHORT FIELD LNDG PROCS. I WAS FLYING THE ACFT AND DEMONSTRATED A SHORT FIELD APCH WITH A NORMAL TOUCHDOWN AND CONTINUED THE 'TOUCH AND GO' TO HAVE THE APPLICANT DEMONSTRATE THE SAME PROC. THE APPLICANT THEN DEMONSTRATED THE SAME PROC WITH A SHORT FIELD APCH AND LNDG. IT WAS DURING THE TKOF PORTION OF THE PROC WHEN THE PROB AROSE. DURING THE TKOF RUN, I WAS FOCUSING ON CTRLINE CTL AND AIRSPD. AS THE ACFT APCHED ROTATION SPD, I NOTICED THE NOSE DROPPING BELOW ITS NORMAL POS AND IMMEDIATELY GRABBED THE CTLS TO BRING THE NOSE BACK UP. I HEARD A SCRAPING SOUND AND KNEW THAT IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE PROP STRIKING THE ASPHALT, BUT WE WERE ABOUT OUT OF RWY AT THIS POINT, SO I CONTINUED THE TKOF. DURING THE CLB OUT, THERE WAS NO VIBRATION AND THE ENG WAS PRODUCING SUFFICIENT PWR TO CLB, SO I CONTINUED TO CLB. ONCE THE ACFT REACHED A SAFE ALT, I HAD MORE TIME TO THINK ABOUT OUR OPTIONS. AT THIS POINT, THE ENG CONTINUED TO PRODUCE SUFFICIENT PWR WITHOUT VIBRATION SO I CHOSE TO FOLLOW LOWER FLATTER TERRAIN BACK TO TROUTDALE AND LANDED NORMALLY. EVIDENTLY, AS THE APPLICANT BROUGHT THE FLAPS UP AND PUSHED THE CARB HEAT IN, HE ALSO SELECTED GEAR UP. DURING THE TKOF RUN, THE SQUAT SWITCH KEPT THE GEAR FROM RETRACTING UNTIL THERE WAS ENOUGH WT OFF OF THE NOSE. I FEEL THAT MY ACTIONS WERE VERY APPROPRIATE FOR THE SIT BECAUSE IF I WOULD HAVE ALLOWED THE ACFT BACK DOWN ONTO THE GND, WE WOULD HAVE ENDED UP IN THE TREES AT THE END OF THE RWY. TO PREVENT THIS TYPE OF OCCURRENCE FROM HAPPENING IN THE FUTURE I WOULD: 1) PROTECT THE GEAR SELECTOR ANY TIME THE GEAR IS EXTENDED, AND 2) CHOOSE TO ONLY DO STOP AND GO'S IN ACFT WITH RETRACTABLE GEAR. I FEEL THAT FACTORS THAT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS SIT MAY HAVE BEEN: 1) THE APPLICANT DID NOT IDENT AND VERIFY THE CTLS BEFORE HE ENGAGED THEM.

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.