Narrative:

When the incident occurred we were landing from a simulated engine out approach that began about 6 mi west of madera; ca; and at an altitude approximately 6000 ft AGL. As we approached mae we were too high for a normal landing and I suggested to extend the landing gear to slow down and lose altitude. He pushed the gear control switch to the 'down' position and I looked down at the gear position indicator arrow to see that the indicator was moving from the 'up' position and moving toward the 'down' position. I also had cues that the gear was extending by the noise and immediate drag of the gear. I then suggested that we use full flaps and he then deployed full flaps. I looked and verified full flaps before landing. As we flared for landing; I told PF that was his best landing of the 5 that we had done that day. It seemed that we were rolling smoothly down the runway somewhat nose ht rolling on the mains and PF said that he applied brakes to slow down. There seemed to be a hesitation before the nose suddenly dropped as if the nose gear had collapsed. The propeller stopped from contact with the runway and the airplane skidded about 200-300 ft. When the airplane came to a complete stop; PF reached over to the gear switch and moved it up to the retract position. He said he heard the gear retract for just a moment and then stop. He then pushed the gear switch down and caused the gear to extend about 6 inches or so until it contacted the runway. Probable cause of incident was initially having gear switch failure followed by failure to doublechk gear position indicator was all the way in the down position.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BE35 FLT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT HAVE A GEAR UP LNDG.

Narrative: WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED WE WERE LNDG FROM A SIMULATED ENG OUT APCH THAT BEGAN ABOUT 6 MI W OF MADERA; CA; AND AT AN ALT APPROX 6000 FT AGL. AS WE APCHED MAE WE WERE TOO HIGH FOR A NORMAL LNDG AND I SUGGESTED TO EXTEND THE LNDG GEAR TO SLOW DOWN AND LOSE ALT. HE PUSHED THE GEAR CTL SWITCH TO THE 'DOWN' POS AND I LOOKED DOWN AT THE GEAR POS INDICATOR ARROW TO SEE THAT THE INDICATOR WAS MOVING FROM THE 'UP' POS AND MOVING TOWARD THE 'DOWN' POS. I ALSO HAD CUES THAT THE GEAR WAS EXTENDING BY THE NOISE AND IMMEDIATE DRAG OF THE GEAR. I THEN SUGGESTED THAT WE USE FULL FLAPS AND HE THEN DEPLOYED FULL FLAPS. I LOOKED AND VERIFIED FULL FLAPS BEFORE LNDG. AS WE FLARED FOR LNDG; I TOLD PF THAT WAS HIS BEST LNDG OF THE 5 THAT WE HAD DONE THAT DAY. IT SEEMED THAT WE WERE ROLLING SMOOTHLY DOWN THE RWY SOMEWHAT NOSE HT ROLLING ON THE MAINS AND PF SAID THAT HE APPLIED BRAKES TO SLOW DOWN. THERE SEEMED TO BE A HESITATION BEFORE THE NOSE SUDDENLY DROPPED AS IF THE NOSE GEAR HAD COLLAPSED. THE PROP STOPPED FROM CONTACT WITH THE RWY AND THE AIRPLANE SKIDDED ABOUT 200-300 FT. WHEN THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP; PF REACHED OVER TO THE GEAR SWITCH AND MOVED IT UP TO THE RETRACT POS. HE SAID HE HEARD THE GEAR RETRACT FOR JUST A MOMENT AND THEN STOP. HE THEN PUSHED THE GEAR SWITCH DOWN AND CAUSED THE GEAR TO EXTEND ABOUT 6 INCHES OR SO UNTIL IT CONTACTED THE RWY. PROBABLE CAUSE OF INCIDENT WAS INITIALLY HAVING GEAR SWITCH FAILURE FOLLOWED BY FAILURE TO DOUBLECHK GEAR POS INDICATOR WAS ALL THE WAY IN THE DOWN POS.

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.