Beech 76 duchess, nose gear collapsed during takeoff roll due to the trainee's knee inadvertently pu...

Attributes
ACN	543847
Time
Date	200204
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : mic.airport
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	Duchess 76
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	ground : takeoff roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 820 flight time type : 40
ASRS Report	543847
Person 2
Function	flight crew : single pilot instruction : trainee
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical ground encounters other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : gear lever position other flight crewa other flight crewb
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I was giving a student instruction in the duchess BE76. After starting engines we verified the gear selector lever was in the down position. Following checklist, we taxied into position and holding for IFR release. Upon receiving clearance to take off, student ran duchess up to 2200 RPM's and after checking engine gauges in screen, released brakes and added full power starting our ground roll. I verified that the airspeed was alive and instructed student to rotate at 71 KTS. Then at that point the nose smashed onto the runway. Then I followed procedures to secure both engines and plane. The plane came to a sliding stop on the runway. While going through checklist, I noticed that the landing gear lever was in the 'up' position. What happened is that the safety switch on the landing gear lever, which prevents the landing gear lever from moving to the 'up' position, was worn so much that it didn't work anymore. Student is a short man. He needs to pull the seat all the way up and after investigation his right knee is just barely touching the lever. The lever was in the 'down' position prior to our ground roll. Student's knee bumped into the landing gear lever while he was transitioning his feet from the brakes to the rudders for ground roll. We re-enacted this event after the incident and discovered that his knee easily bumped the lever to the 'up' position causing the nose gear to retract at 59-63 KIAS. The duchess is so nose heavy, I had no time or indication that the nose was about to drop. While I was looking at the airspeed indicator, the nose hit the runway in a matter of a second.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BEECH 76 DUCHESS, NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED DURING TKOF ROLL DUE TO THE TRAINEE'S KNEE INADVERTENTLY PUSHED THE GEAR POS SELECTOR TO THE UP RETRACTED POS.

Narrative: I WAS GIVING A STUDENT INSTRUCTION IN THE DUCHESS BE76. AFTER STARTING ENGS WE VERIFIED THE GEAR SELECTOR LEVER WAS IN THE DOWN POS. FOLLOWING CHKLIST, WE TAXIED INTO POS AND HOLDING FOR IFR RELEASE. UPON RECEIVING CLRNC TO TAKE OFF, STUDENT RAN DUCHESS UP TO 2200 RPM'S AND AFTER CHKING ENG GAUGES IN SCREEN, RELEASED BRAKES AND ADDED FULL PWR STARTING OUR GND ROLL. I VERIFIED THAT THE AIRSPD WAS ALIVE AND INSTRUCTED STUDENT TO ROTATE AT 71 KTS. THEN AT THAT POINT THE NOSE SMASHED ONTO THE RWY. THEN I FOLLOWED PROCS TO SECURE BOTH ENGS AND PLANE. THE PLANE CAME TO A SLIDING STOP ON THE RWY. WHILE GOING THROUGH CHKLIST, I NOTICED THAT THE LNDG GEAR LEVER WAS IN THE 'UP' POS. WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT THE SAFETY SWITCH ON THE LNDG GEAR LEVER, WHICH PREVENTS THE LNDG GEAR LEVER FROM MOVING TO THE 'UP' POS, WAS WORN SO MUCH THAT IT DIDN'T WORK ANYMORE. STUDENT IS A SHORT MAN. HE NEEDS TO PULL THE SEAT ALL THE WAY UP AND AFTER INVESTIGATION HIS R KNEE IS JUST BARELY TOUCHING THE LEVER. THE LEVER WAS IN THE 'DOWN' POS PRIOR TO OUR GND ROLL. STUDENT'S KNEE BUMPED INTO THE LNDG GEAR LEVER WHILE HE WAS TRANSITIONING HIS FEET FROM THE BRAKES TO THE RUDDERS FOR GND ROLL. WE RE-ENACTED THIS EVENT AFTER THE INCIDENT AND DISCOVERED THAT HIS KNEE EASILY BUMPED THE LEVER TO THE 'UP' POS CAUSING THE NOSE GEAR TO RETRACT AT 59-63 KIAS. THE DUCHESS IS SO NOSE HVY, I HAD NO TIME OR INDICATION THAT THE NOSE WAS ABOUT TO DROP. WHILE I WAS LOOKING AT THE AIRSPD INDICATOR, THE NOSE HIT THE RWY IN A MATTER OF A SECOND.

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.

Beech 76 duchess, nose gear collapsed during takeoff roll due to the trainee's knee inadvertently pushed the gear position selector to the up retracted position.