Narrative:

The instructional flight in the complex 'commercial trainer' was my second flight in this aircraft. I was working with a CFI to gain the insurance chkout requirements in the airplane; obtain a complex endorsement and also gain the hours required towards the commercial license requirements as defined by the FAA. The training regimen for this particular flight was 'touch-and-goes' and practicing the complex airplane checklist items to gain some proficiency at those tasks. I had completed 3 touch-and-goes prior to the incident and relinquished control of the aircraft to my CFI in the right seat. He wanted to take a landing for himself to keep up his own currency and proficiency. The CFI completed all checklist items including placing the gear selector switch in the down position. Both he and I confirmed '3 greens' on the base to final turn and were convinced the gear was locked down securely. He completed the landing without incident and during the rollout and subsequent preparation for takeoff; he placed his hand on the gear selector switch. I initially thought he was confirming that the gear was down or maybe even testing the 'squat switch' as an instructional aid. He moved the gear selection switch to the 'up' position and the right main gear collapsed under us leaving the right wing on the runway surface. Both the left main gear and the nose gear remained 'down.' we both actuated the left rudder and left brake to keep the airplane from sliding off the runway to the right. It finally came to rest mostly on the runway with only a few ft of the right wing off in the grass. No runway lights or any other airport environment markers; signs; etc; were damaged. I executed from memory the emergency shutdown and egress procedures and we exited the airplane and maintained a safe distance awaiting the emergency services personnel. They checked for fuel leaks and no fuel leakage was observed. I believe that my CFI actuated the gear switch into the 'up' position mistakenly believing that this was the 'flap' actuator like those installed in cessnas and other aircraft. Of course; this model of piper has a 'flap' handle (johnson bar flaps) between the seats. A flap setting other than full is required for takeoff and I think he was just taking the flaps up in preparation for departure. This is the cause of the gear collapse and incident. I have no recommendation on how to prevent these types of incidents other than proficiency and currency in complex aircraft. As a commercial student pilot; I know I have learned 2 things from this: 1) fly the airplane until it stops no matter what the shape of the airplane or what it's doing. If you can control its direction; do something to improve your situation and don't quit or give up. 2) know who you are flying with and question loudly if something doesn't seem right to you even as an inexperienced/junior pilot.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 FLT INSTRUCTOR PLACES LNDG GEAR SELECTOR UP WHILE TAXIING AND R MAIN GEAR COLLAPSES.

Narrative: THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLT IN THE COMPLEX 'COMMERCIAL TRAINER' WAS MY SECOND FLT IN THIS ACFT. I WAS WORKING WITH A CFI TO GAIN THE INSURANCE CHKOUT REQUIREMENTS IN THE AIRPLANE; OBTAIN A COMPLEX ENDORSEMENT AND ALSO GAIN THE HRS REQUIRED TOWARDS THE COMMERCIAL LICENSE REQUIREMENTS AS DEFINED BY THE FAA. THE TRAINING REGIMEN FOR THIS PARTICULAR FLT WAS 'TOUCH-AND-GOES' AND PRACTICING THE COMPLEX AIRPLANE CHKLIST ITEMS TO GAIN SOME PROFICIENCY AT THOSE TASKS. I HAD COMPLETED 3 TOUCH-AND-GOES PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT AND RELINQUISHED CTL OF THE ACFT TO MY CFI IN THE R SEAT. HE WANTED TO TAKE A LNDG FOR HIMSELF TO KEEP UP HIS OWN CURRENCY AND PROFICIENCY. THE CFI COMPLETED ALL CHKLIST ITEMS INCLUDING PLACING THE GEAR SELECTOR SWITCH IN THE DOWN POS. BOTH HE AND I CONFIRMED '3 GREENS' ON THE BASE TO FINAL TURN AND WERE CONVINCED THE GEAR WAS LOCKED DOWN SECURELY. HE COMPLETED THE LNDG WITHOUT INCIDENT AND DURING THE ROLLOUT AND SUBSEQUENT PREPARATION FOR TKOF; HE PLACED HIS HAND ON THE GEAR SELECTOR SWITCH. I INITIALLY THOUGHT HE WAS CONFIRMING THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN OR MAYBE EVEN TESTING THE 'SQUAT SWITCH' AS AN INSTRUCTIONAL AID. HE MOVED THE GEAR SELECTION SWITCH TO THE 'UP' POS AND THE R MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED UNDER US LEAVING THE R WING ON THE RWY SURFACE. BOTH THE L MAIN GEAR AND THE NOSE GEAR REMAINED 'DOWN.' WE BOTH ACTUATED THE L RUDDER AND L BRAKE TO KEEP THE AIRPLANE FROM SLIDING OFF THE RWY TO THE R. IT FINALLY CAME TO REST MOSTLY ON THE RWY WITH ONLY A FEW FT OF THE R WING OFF IN THE GRASS. NO RWY LIGHTS OR ANY OTHER ARPT ENVIRONMENT MARKERS; SIGNS; ETC; WERE DAMAGED. I EXECUTED FROM MEMORY THE EMER SHUTDOWN AND EGRESS PROCS AND WE EXITED THE AIRPLANE AND MAINTAINED A SAFE DISTANCE AWAITING THE EMER SVCS PERSONNEL. THEY CHKED FOR FUEL LEAKS AND NO FUEL LEAKAGE WAS OBSERVED. I BELIEVE THAT MY CFI ACTUATED THE GEAR SWITCH INTO THE 'UP' POS MISTAKENLY BELIEVING THAT THIS WAS THE 'FLAP' ACTUATOR LIKE THOSE INSTALLED IN CESSNAS AND OTHER ACFT. OF COURSE; THIS MODEL OF PIPER HAS A 'FLAP' HANDLE (JOHNSON BAR FLAPS) BTWN THE SEATS. A FLAP SETTING OTHER THAN FULL IS REQUIRED FOR TKOF AND I THINK HE WAS JUST TAKING THE FLAPS UP IN PREPARATION FOR DEP. THIS IS THE CAUSE OF THE GEAR COLLAPSE AND INCIDENT. I HAVE NO RECOMMENDATION ON HOW TO PREVENT THESE TYPES OF INCIDENTS OTHER THAN PROFICIENCY AND CURRENCY IN COMPLEX ACFT. AS A COMMERCIAL STUDENT PLT; I KNOW I HAVE LEARNED 2 THINGS FROM THIS: 1) FLY THE AIRPLANE UNTIL IT STOPS NO MATTER WHAT THE SHAPE OF THE AIRPLANE OR WHAT IT'S DOING. IF YOU CAN CTL ITS DIRECTION; DO SOMETHING TO IMPROVE YOUR SITUATION AND DON'T QUIT OR GIVE UP. 2) KNOW WHO YOU ARE FLYING WITH AND QUESTION LOUDLY IF SOMETHING DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT TO YOU EVEN AS AN INEXPERIENCED/JUNIOR PLT.

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.