Narrative:

We took off with the intentions to first practice lndgs. Staying in the pattern; the first of 3 redundant pre-landing checklists were completed on the downwind leg. Abeam the numbers; power was reduced and the approach commenced. On the base leg; the landing checklist was completed a second time. Notably; the landing gear indicated 3 down and locked; the unsafe light was extinguished; and the nose gear position was visually confirmed using the mirror on the left engine cowl. Radio calls again indicated that the landing would be completed to a full stop. On final; the landing checklist was completed a third and final time. All system remained as previously noted; with the addition of the propeller controls being advanced to the high RPM setting. The instructor informed me that his hand would be placed on the yoke for safety. My training for past certificates; in addition to the bulk of my initial multi-engine training (10 hours); had been completed at a university flight program. The training there utilizes a high number of touch-and-go lndgs to reduce time during lessons. Having completed several yrs of training there; I have become highly accustomed to 'cleaning up' the aircraft immediately after touchdown to initiate the subsequent takeoff. The policies of this flight school and the instructor do not permit touch-and-go lndgs. It is also of note that my initial multi-engine training completed was done in a beechcraft duchess. The flap lever in the duchess is located in relatively the same position to that of the landing gear lever in the piper seneca. I correctly initiated the flare; and the aircraft touched down at approximately 80-90 mph. After the plane had settled; I immediately returned to the habits I learned at the university and began to 'clean up' the aircraft. I reached for the position where I had become accustomed to the flap lever being; and before realizing what I was doing; the landing gear (the nosewheel) began to retract. The instructor quickly returned the landing gear lever to extend; but due to the design of the landing gear system on the seneca; the nose gear began to retract almost immediately. Realizing the impending problem; the instructor immediately reduced the engine mixtures to idle and I flipped the magnetos and master switch off. The aircraft was secured (fuel and electricity were both turned off at all available points in the cockpit); and we exited the aircraft without any injury. Initial post-incident inspection revealed no significant damage to the airframe. The aircraft was resting on the nose; with the nose gear doors visibly bent underneath. All 4 propeller blades were bent backwards in a manner consistent with no power being produced at the time of striking the ground. The emergency gear extension handle was released and several bystanders were utilized to pull the tail down and lock the nose gear into place. Subsequent inspection revealed that the fiberglas had been scraped on the nose. The damage did not puncture the nose at any point; and there were no visible cracks anywhere on the nose. The nose gear doors were significantly bent and the hinges damaged. Initial interior and exterior inspection of the nose gear associated mechanisms revealed no apparent damage. The aircraft was carefully towed back to the hangar for further inspection.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOW TIME STUDENT PLT ABOARD A PA34 MISTAKENLY RETRACTS GEAR VICE FLAPS DURING FULL STOP LNDG.

Narrative: WE TOOK OFF WITH THE INTENTIONS TO FIRST PRACTICE LNDGS. STAYING IN THE PATTERN; THE FIRST OF 3 REDUNDANT PRE-LNDG CHKLISTS WERE COMPLETED ON THE DOWNWIND LEG. ABEAM THE NUMBERS; PWR WAS REDUCED AND THE APCH COMMENCED. ON THE BASE LEG; THE LNDG CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED A SECOND TIME. NOTABLY; THE LNDG GEAR INDICATED 3 DOWN AND LOCKED; THE UNSAFE LIGHT WAS EXTINGUISHED; AND THE NOSE GEAR POS WAS VISUALLY CONFIRMED USING THE MIRROR ON THE L ENG COWL. RADIO CALLS AGAIN INDICATED THAT THE LNDG WOULD BE COMPLETED TO A FULL STOP. ON FINAL; THE LNDG CHKLIST WAS COMPLETED A THIRD AND FINAL TIME. ALL SYS REMAINED AS PREVIOUSLY NOTED; WITH THE ADDITION OF THE PROP CTLS BEING ADVANCED TO THE HIGH RPM SETTING. THE INSTRUCTOR INFORMED ME THAT HIS HAND WOULD BE PLACED ON THE YOKE FOR SAFETY. MY TRAINING FOR PAST CERTIFICATES; IN ADDITION TO THE BULK OF MY INITIAL MULTI-ENG TRAINING (10 HRS); HAD BEEN COMPLETED AT A UNIVERSITY FLT PROGRAM. THE TRAINING THERE UTILIZES A HIGH NUMBER OF TOUCH-AND-GO LNDGS TO REDUCE TIME DURING LESSONS. HAVING COMPLETED SEVERAL YRS OF TRAINING THERE; I HAVE BECOME HIGHLY ACCUSTOMED TO 'CLEANING UP' THE ACFT IMMEDIATELY AFTER TOUCHDOWN TO INITIATE THE SUBSEQUENT TKOF. THE POLICIES OF THIS FLT SCHOOL AND THE INSTRUCTOR DO NOT PERMIT TOUCH-AND-GO LNDGS. IT IS ALSO OF NOTE THAT MY INITIAL MULTI-ENG TRAINING COMPLETED WAS DONE IN A BEECHCRAFT DUCHESS. THE FLAP LEVER IN THE DUCHESS IS LOCATED IN RELATIVELY THE SAME POS TO THAT OF THE LNDG GEAR LEVER IN THE PIPER SENECA. I CORRECTLY INITIATED THE FLARE; AND THE ACFT TOUCHED DOWN AT APPROX 80-90 MPH. AFTER THE PLANE HAD SETTLED; I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO THE HABITS I LEARNED AT THE UNIVERSITY AND BEGAN TO 'CLEAN UP' THE ACFT. I REACHED FOR THE POS WHERE I HAD BECOME ACCUSTOMED TO THE FLAP LEVER BEING; AND BEFORE REALIZING WHAT I WAS DOING; THE LNDG GEAR (THE NOSEWHEEL) BEGAN TO RETRACT. THE INSTRUCTOR QUICKLY RETURNED THE LNDG GEAR LEVER TO EXTEND; BUT DUE TO THE DESIGN OF THE LNDG GEAR SYS ON THE SENECA; THE NOSE GEAR BEGAN TO RETRACT ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. REALIZING THE IMPENDING PROB; THE INSTRUCTOR IMMEDIATELY REDUCED THE ENG MIXTURES TO IDLE AND I FLIPPED THE MAGNETOS AND MASTER SWITCH OFF. THE ACFT WAS SECURED (FUEL AND ELECTRICITY WERE BOTH TURNED OFF AT ALL AVAILABLE POINTS IN THE COCKPIT); AND WE EXITED THE ACFT WITHOUT ANY INJURY. INITIAL POST-INCIDENT INSPECTION REVEALED NO SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME. THE ACFT WAS RESTING ON THE NOSE; WITH THE NOSE GEAR DOORS VISIBLY BENT UNDERNEATH. ALL 4 PROP BLADES WERE BENT BACKWARDS IN A MANNER CONSISTENT WITH NO PWR BEING PRODUCED AT THE TIME OF STRIKING THE GND. THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION HANDLE WAS RELEASED AND SEVERAL BYSTANDERS WERE UTILIZED TO PULL THE TAIL DOWN AND LOCK THE NOSE GEAR INTO PLACE. SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION REVEALED THAT THE FIBERGLAS HAD BEEN SCRAPED ON THE NOSE. THE DAMAGE DID NOT PUNCTURE THE NOSE AT ANY POINT; AND THERE WERE NO VISIBLE CRACKS ANYWHERE ON THE NOSE. THE NOSE GEAR DOORS WERE SIGNIFICANTLY BENT AND THE HINGES DAMAGED. INITIAL INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR INSPECTION OF THE NOSE GEAR ASSOCIATED MECHANISMS REVEALED NO APPARENT DAMAGE. THE ACFT WAS CAREFULLY TOWED BACK TO THE HANGAR FOR FURTHER INSPECTION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.