Narrative:

I flew the airplane from columbia, mo (cou) to the memphis general spain airport (M01). WX was VFR, so I canceled IFR 10 or 15 mi from the airport in order to descend below a cloud layer that was starting to form at approximately 2500 ft MSL in order to make a VFR approach to the airport. Upon entering the traffic pattern, I did a prelndg checklist, noted the 3 green gear down lights and made a normal approach. Upon flaring to land, I heard a scraping sound and immediately made a go around. Upon the go around, I noted that the gear indicator lights were not lit. On the downwind, I noted the landing gear circuit breaker was open (popped) and elected to do an emergency gear extension. Upon the gear extension, I noted that I again had 3 green indicator lights and made a normal landing. After shutdown, I noticed that both propellers had struck the ground and some minor damage had occurred to the flaps and air step and heater exhaust pipe. Subsequently, I was informed by a witness who related that on the go around that the landing gear came partially down and then went up. My suspicions are that a short in a switch, wiring, or motor caused the unintentional retraction. The only way I can think that this could have been prevented would be to repeatedly check and confirm gear down indications on final.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA34 ATX PLT MAKES A GAR WHEN LNDG WITH THE LNDG GEAR IN THE RETRACTED POS AT M01, TN.

Narrative: I FLEW THE AIRPLANE FROM COLUMBIA, MO (COU) TO THE MEMPHIS GENERAL SPAIN ARPT (M01). WX WAS VFR, SO I CANCELED IFR 10 OR 15 MI FROM THE ARPT IN ORDER TO DSND BELOW A CLOUD LAYER THAT WAS STARTING TO FORM AT APPROX 2500 FT MSL IN ORDER TO MAKE A VFR APCH TO THE ARPT. UPON ENTERING THE TFC PATTERN, I DID A PRELNDG CHKLIST, NOTED THE 3 GREEN GEAR DOWN LIGHTS AND MADE A NORMAL APCH. UPON FLARING TO LAND, I HEARD A SCRAPING SOUND AND IMMEDIATELY MADE A GAR. UPON THE GAR, I NOTED THAT THE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE NOT LIT. ON THE DOWNWIND, I NOTED THE LNDG GEAR CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS OPEN (POPPED) AND ELECTED TO DO AN EMER GEAR EXTENSION. UPON THE GEAR EXTENSION, I NOTED THAT I AGAIN HAD 3 GREEN INDICATOR LIGHTS AND MADE A NORMAL LNDG. AFTER SHUTDOWN, I NOTICED THAT BOTH PROPS HAD STRUCK THE GND AND SOME MINOR DAMAGE HAD OCCURRED TO THE FLAPS AND AIR STEP AND HEATER EXHAUST PIPE. SUBSEQUENTLY, I WAS INFORMED BY A WITNESS WHO RELATED THAT ON THE GAR THAT THE LNDG GEAR CAME PARTIALLY DOWN AND THEN WENT UP. MY SUSPICIONS ARE THAT A SHORT IN A SWITCH, WIRING, OR MOTOR CAUSED THE UNINTENTIONAL RETRACTION. THE ONLY WAY I CAN THINK THAT THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED WOULD BE TO REPEATEDLY CHK AND CONFIRM GEAR DOWN INDICATIONS ON FINAL.

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.