Narrative:

At approximately XA00 local time my student and I were practicing closed traffic at ZZZ. On our first landing we touched down as normal but the student mistakenly raised the gear instead of the flaps. I instantly realized what had happened and put the gear switch back down but the gear had retracted too quickly. We skidded to a stop on the runway during which time I cut off the mixtures and turned the fuel selectors off. When the aircraft stopped we safely exited the aircraft and waited for assistance. Contributing factors to this incident were the fact that the student was unfamiliar with the aircraft; having less than 2 hours in it and in this particular model of baron; the gear switch is similarly shaped and dangerously too close to the flap switch causing some confusion among all of my students. In order to prevent a recurrence I would suggest that the gear position switch be changed out to the 'round industry standard' style instead of a nondescript knob. Also; completing full stop and taxi-back lndgs; at least in the beginning stages of training may prevent instances like this because the student is not rushed. The landing gear safety-switch failed to do its job in this case; because we had just landed and were still traveling at about 60 KTS. The lift generated by the wings was sufficient to take the weight off the switch. A less sensitive safety-switch would keep this from occurring again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE95 STUDENT RETRACTED THE LNDG GEAR DURING A TOUCH AND GO LNDG WHILE INTENDING TO RETRACT THE FLAPS. THE LEVERS ARE SIMILAR AND ADJACENT.

Narrative: AT APPROXIMATELY XA00 LOCAL TIME MY STUDENT AND I WERE PRACTICING CLOSED TFC AT ZZZ. ON OUR FIRST LNDG WE TOUCHED DOWN AS NORMAL BUT THE STUDENT MISTAKENLY RAISED THE GEAR INSTEAD OF THE FLAPS. I INSTANTLY REALIZED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND PUT THE GEAR SWITCH BACK DOWN BUT THE GEAR HAD RETRACTED TOO QUICKLY. WE SKIDDED TO A STOP ON THE RWY DURING WHICH TIME I CUT OFF THE MIXTURES AND TURNED THE FUEL SELECTORS OFF. WHEN THE ACFT STOPPED WE SAFELY EXITED THE ACFT AND WAITED FOR ASSISTANCE. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO THIS INCIDENT WERE THE FACT THAT THE STUDENT WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH THE ACFT; HAVING LESS THAN 2 HOURS IN IT AND IN THIS PARTICULAR MODEL OF BARON; THE GEAR SWITCH IS SIMILARLY SHAPED AND DANGEROUSLY TOO CLOSE TO THE FLAP SWITCH CAUSING SOME CONFUSION AMONG ALL OF MY STUDENTS. IN ORDER TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THE GEAR POSITION SWITCH BE CHANGED OUT TO THE 'ROUND INDUSTRY STANDARD' STYLE INSTEAD OF A NONDESCRIPT KNOB. ALSO; COMPLETING FULL STOP AND TAXI-BACK LNDGS; AT LEAST IN THE BEGINNING STAGES OF TRAINING MAY PREVENT INSTANCES LIKE THIS BECAUSE THE STUDENT IS NOT RUSHED. THE LNDG GEAR SAFETY-SWITCH FAILED TO DO ITS JOB IN THIS CASE; BECAUSE WE HAD JUST LANDED AND WERE STILL TRAVELING AT ABOUT 60 KTS. THE LIFT GENERATED BY THE WINGS WAS SUFFICIENT TO TAKE THE WEIGHT OFF THE SWITCH. A LESS SENSITIVE SAFETY-SWITCH WOULD KEEP THIS FROM OCCURRING AGAIN.

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.