Narrative:

The student entered downwind about 3/4 to 1 mi from the runway and completed the pre-landing checklist again as I observed each step. Abeam the numbers 35, the student throttled back to 14 inches of manifold pressure, slowed to the white arc and put in about 4 seconds worth of flaps which is about 10 degrees. The student turned base and added another 3-4 seconds of flaps, which extended the flaps to about 20 degrees. The student and myself both checked that the runway was clear, final clear, gear down (green light, red tab), and pushed both propellers forward, then about 3 seconds later turned onto final. The student was on VASI and at 100 mph. I called 'green light, red tab, propellers forward, final checks complete.' the student would have touched down between the VASI and the runway intersection 28 but we were just under 100 mph so there was a touch of floating, he held it off and set it down nicely on the mains. At this point I said, 'let it just roll out to the end.' the nose touched down twice and the third time the nose came down, it went all the way to the ground. I saw the left propeller strike the ground and so I reached up and pulled both propellers to feather. When we came to a stop, the student said, 'the gear was down, I checked it several times.' I said 'I know, the nose gear must have sheared off.' the gear horn was on and I put it down to silence the horn. After several attempts to contact logan unicom we climbed out of the aircraft. After accident: the mains were partially retracted. The student does not remember ever touching the gear handle. The student has the majority of time in cessna aircraft where the flap handle is located exactly where the gear handle is located in the travel air. Would the gear extend with the gear handle down but not past the detent position, then possible upon touchdown be knocked into the up position? Future prevention: make sure gear handle is locked in the detent position. Don't allow anything to be touched in the aircraft on rollout until clear of the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE95 TRAVEL AIR LANDS WITH THE GEAR DOWN, BUT THE LNDG GEAR BEGINS TO RETRACT DURING ROLLOUT AT LGU, UT. NOSE GEAR DOES RETRACT ALL THE WAY CAUSING ACFT DAMAGE.

Narrative: THE STUDENT ENTERED DOWNWIND ABOUT 3/4 TO 1 MI FROM THE RWY AND COMPLETED THE PRE-LNDG CHKLIST AGAIN AS I OBSERVED EACH STEP. ABEAM THE NUMBERS 35, THE STUDENT THROTTLED BACK TO 14 INCHES OF MANIFOLD PRESSURE, SLOWED TO THE WHITE ARC AND PUT IN ABOUT 4 SECONDS WORTH OF FLAPS WHICH IS ABOUT 10 DEGS. THE STUDENT TURNED BASE AND ADDED ANOTHER 3-4 SECONDS OF FLAPS, WHICH EXTENDED THE FLAPS TO ABOUT 20 DEGS. THE STUDENT AND MYSELF BOTH CHKED THAT THE RWY WAS CLR, FINAL CLR, GEAR DOWN (GREEN LIGHT, RED TAB), AND PUSHED BOTH PROPS FORWARD, THEN ABOUT 3 SECONDS LATER TURNED ONTO FINAL. THE STUDENT WAS ON VASI AND AT 100 MPH. I CALLED 'GREEN LIGHT, RED TAB, PROPS FORWARD, FINAL CHKS COMPLETE.' THE STUDENT WOULD HAVE TOUCHED DOWN BTWN THE VASI AND THE RWY INTXN 28 BUT WE WERE JUST UNDER 100 MPH SO THERE WAS A TOUCH OF FLOATING, HE HELD IT OFF AND SET IT DOWN NICELY ON THE MAINS. AT THIS POINT I SAID, 'LET IT JUST ROLL OUT TO THE END.' THE NOSE TOUCHED DOWN TWICE AND THE THIRD TIME THE NOSE CAME DOWN, IT WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE GND. I SAW THE L PROP STRIKE THE GND AND SO I REACHED UP AND PULLED BOTH PROPS TO FEATHER. WHEN WE CAME TO A STOP, THE STUDENT SAID, 'THE GEAR WAS DOWN, I CHKED IT SEVERAL TIMES.' I SAID 'I KNOW, THE NOSE GEAR MUST HAVE SHEARED OFF.' THE GEAR HORN WAS ON AND I PUT IT DOWN TO SILENCE THE HORN. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT LOGAN UNICOM WE CLBED OUT OF THE ACFT. AFTER ACCIDENT: THE MAINS WERE PARTIALLY RETRACTED. THE STUDENT DOES NOT REMEMBER EVER TOUCHING THE GEAR HANDLE. THE STUDENT HAS THE MAJORITY OF TIME IN CESSNA ACFT WHERE THE FLAP HANDLE IS LOCATED EXACTLY WHERE THE GEAR HANDLE IS LOCATED IN THE TRAVEL AIR. WOULD THE GEAR EXTEND WITH THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN BUT NOT PAST THE DETENT POS, THEN POSSIBLE UPON TOUCHDOWN BE KNOCKED INTO THE UP POS? FUTURE PREVENTION: MAKE SURE GEAR HANDLE IS LOCKED IN THE DETENT POS. DON'T ALLOW ANYTHING TO BE TOUCHED IN THE ACFT ON ROLLOUT UNTIL CLR OF THE RWY.

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.