Narrative:

Upon entry to left downwind runway 28, I went through and completed the before landing checklist, verified '3 greens' downwind, base and final. On base, propellers went forward airspeed at blue line, on final added remaining flaps. On short final, observed crosswind at an estimated 5-10 KTS at sock. Noticed a road and traffic very close to runway threshold. Flew right over a car at about 20 ft. Speed at 100 KTS, floated down runway in flare, touched down about 500 ft down the runway. The airplane I pwred to idle. I didn't want to run off the end. For maximum brake effectiveness, I thought to raise the flaps. A wind gust directed my attention to the rollout path and staying on the runway, I reached out to raise the flaps with my attention still outside the aircraft. The horn sounded and I immediately knew what I had done. I immediately reversed the action. However, there was insufficient weight for a moment during the gust on the mains to activate the squat switch on the gear and it began to transition. As it did, the right wing contacted the ground, then the nose, and then the left wing came down as the gear retracted. I skidded down the runway and off into the grass, taking out 1 runway light. Contributing factors: this was the shortest and narrowest runway I'd landed on in this airplane -- 50 ft by 3500 ft. I knew this and wanted to be sure I could stop by the end. Another contributing factor is that I have considerably more time in B55 barons and 136 bonanzas than I did in the P58 baron. The flap and gear position levers are in similar places on the panel only they are backwards in the P58. I instinctively reached for the lever I was used to reaching for in the other aircraft. While these are viable contributing factors, nothing can excuse the fact that I failed to properly identify the component before activating it. I usually do, but this time didn't. It is a lesson learned the most unfortunate way.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BARON 58 PLT INADVERTENTLY RETRACTS LNDG GEAR DURING LNDG ROLL.

Narrative: UPON ENTRY TO L DOWNWIND RWY 28, I WENT THROUGH AND COMPLETED THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST, VERIFIED '3 GREENS' DOWNWIND, BASE AND FINAL. ON BASE, PROPS WENT FORWARD AIRSPD AT BLUE LINE, ON FINAL ADDED REMAINING FLAPS. ON SHORT FINAL, OBSERVED XWIND AT AN ESTIMATED 5-10 KTS AT SOCK. NOTICED A ROAD AND TFC VERY CLOSE TO RWY THRESHOLD. FLEW RIGHT OVER A CAR AT ABOUT 20 FT. SPD AT 100 KTS, FLOATED DOWN RWY IN FLARE, TOUCHED DOWN ABOUT 500 FT DOWN THE RWY. THE AIRPLANE I PWRED TO IDLE. I DIDN'T WANT TO RUN OFF THE END. FOR MAX BRAKE EFFECTIVENESS, I THOUGHT TO RAISE THE FLAPS. A WIND GUST DIRECTED MY ATTN TO THE ROLLOUT PATH AND STAYING ON THE RWY, I REACHED OUT TO RAISE THE FLAPS WITH MY ATTN STILL OUTSIDE THE ACFT. THE HORN SOUNDED AND I IMMEDIATELY KNEW WHAT I HAD DONE. I IMMEDIATELY REVERSED THE ACTION. HOWEVER, THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT WT FOR A MOMENT DURING THE GUST ON THE MAINS TO ACTIVATE THE SQUAT SWITCH ON THE GEAR AND IT BEGAN TO TRANSITION. AS IT DID, THE R WING CONTACTED THE GND, THEN THE NOSE, AND THEN THE L WING CAME DOWN AS THE GEAR RETRACTED. I SKIDDED DOWN THE RWY AND OFF INTO THE GRASS, TAKING OUT 1 RWY LIGHT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: THIS WAS THE SHORTEST AND NARROWEST RWY I'D LANDED ON IN THIS AIRPLANE -- 50 FT BY 3500 FT. I KNEW THIS AND WANTED TO BE SURE I COULD STOP BY THE END. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THAT I HAVE CONSIDERABLY MORE TIME IN B55 BARONS AND 136 BONANZAS THAN I DID IN THE P58 BARON. THE FLAP AND GEAR POS LEVERS ARE IN SIMILAR PLACES ON THE PANEL ONLY THEY ARE BACKWARDS IN THE P58. I INSTINCTIVELY REACHED FOR THE LEVER I WAS USED TO REACHING FOR IN THE OTHER ACFT. WHILE THESE ARE VIABLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS, NOTHING CAN EXCUSE THE FACT THAT I FAILED TO PROPERLY IDENT THE COMPONENT BEFORE ACTIVATING IT. I USUALLY DO, BUT THIS TIME DIDN'T. IT IS A LESSON LEARNED THE MOST UNFORTUNATE WAY.

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.