Instructor pilot inadvertently retracted the nose gear of a beech mentor, T34, during a renewal examination for his instructor's certificate. The aircraft propeller and engine were damaged when the propeller struck the runway and suddenly stopped the engine.

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Attributes
ACN	426095
Time
Date	199901
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gai
State Reference	MD
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Mentor (T-34)
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 51 flight time total : 1340 flight time type : 5
ASRS Report	426095
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	observation : company check pilot
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated other Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

On jan/xa/99, I was taxiing out to runway 32 at gai for a CFI renewal flight. I was sitting in the rear seat of a T34 flight trainer with the examiner in the front seat. I talked him through the run-up and pre takeoff items. I remember being confused about the gear indications and wanted to be sure he knew what a good 'down and locked' indication was since I was planning on failing the gear during the flight. I told him to look at the indications for the gear. I then reached up and switched the 'emergency gear up' switch in the up position, thinking it was squat-switch protected and would give a 'gear unsafe' indication. The nose gear then immediately collapsed causing a sudden stoppage of the engine via propeller strike. The left main gear also started to collapse but didn't due to the aircraft not moving. After the incident, review of the pilot manual revealed that the switch is for intentional on the ground gear retraction -- and is not squat switch protected. No one was injured during this time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR PLT INADVERTENTLY RETRACTED THE NOSE GEAR OF A BEECH MENTOR, T34, DURING A RENEWAL EXAMINATION FOR HIS INSTRUCTOR'S CERTIFICATE. THE ACFT PROP AND ENG WERE DAMAGED WHEN THE PROP STRUCK THE RWY AND SUDDENLY STOPPED THE ENG.

Narrative: ON JAN/XA/99, I WAS TAXIING OUT TO RWY 32 AT GAI FOR A CFI RENEWAL FLT. I WAS SITTING IN THE REAR SEAT OF A T34 FLT TRAINER WITH THE EXAMINER IN THE FRONT SEAT. I TALKED HIM THROUGH THE RUN-UP AND PRE TKOF ITEMS. I REMEMBER BEING CONFUSED ABOUT THE GEAR INDICATIONS AND WANTED TO BE SURE HE KNEW WHAT A GOOD 'DOWN AND LOCKED' INDICATION WAS SINCE I WAS PLANNING ON FAILING THE GEAR DURING THE FLT. I TOLD HIM TO LOOK AT THE INDICATIONS FOR THE GEAR. I THEN REACHED UP AND SWITCHED THE 'EMER GEAR UP' SWITCH IN THE UP POS, THINKING IT WAS SQUAT-SWITCH PROTECTED AND WOULD GIVE A 'GEAR UNSAFE' INDICATION. THE NOSE GEAR THEN IMMEDIATELY COLLAPSED CAUSING A SUDDEN STOPPAGE OF THE ENG VIA PROP STRIKE. THE L MAIN GEAR ALSO STARTED TO COLLAPSE BUT DIDN'T DUE TO THE ACFT NOT MOVING. AFTER THE INCIDENT, REVIEW OF THE PLT MANUAL REVEALED THAT THE SWITCH IS FOR INTENTIONAL ON THE GND GEAR RETRACTION -- AND IS NOT SQUAT SWITCH PROTECTED. NO ONE WAS INJURED DURING THIS TIME.

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.