Inadvertently retracted gear while making touch and go lndgs.

Attributes
ACN	94261
Time
Date	198809
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sna
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Aircraft, High Wing, 1 Eng, Retractable Gear
Flight Phase	landing other other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : trainee
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 30 flight time total : 890
ASRS Report	94261
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	instruction : instructor
Qualification	pilot : cfi
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Consequence	faa : investigated other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

I was doing touch and go's while practicing teaching lndgs with my instrument for a CFI certificate. After completing the landing on the 3RD touch and go, I was busy opening the cowl flaps, retracting the flaps, and turning off the carburetor heat in preparation for the next takeoff when I inadvertently retracted the gear. The nose wheel retracted but the main gear remained down and locked. The aircraft skidded to a stop on the runway, destroying the propeller, damaging the nose gear door and slightly damaging the cowl flaps and underside of the cowling. Maintenance had been done on the gear the week prior for gear retraction problems. The gear warning horn did not always come on when throttling below 1500 RPM with the gear up during the flight. This has led me to believe the squat switch may not have been working properly. I believe there are 3 lessons learned. When doing touch and go's on a short runway, leave gear down always or taxi back. Having the squat switch only on the nose gear, like an small aircraft seems less than adequate protection against an inadvertent gear retraction. The shock on the nose gear can be extended, on taxi or takeoff, landing rolls even though the aircraft will not fly. The main gear seems to be the only place for a reliable squat switch, since the weight of the aircraft is on the mains until the aircraft is airborne. Maybe there should be a double, or 2 step switch for gear retraction. This would give the pilot that extra split second to stop an inadvertent move that resulted in a nose gear retraction for me.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INADVERTENTLY RETRACTED GEAR WHILE MAKING TOUCH AND GO LNDGS.

Narrative: I WAS DOING TOUCH AND GO'S WHILE PRACTICING TEACHING LNDGS WITH MY INSTR FOR A CFI CERTIFICATE. AFTER COMPLETING THE LNDG ON THE 3RD TOUCH AND GO, I WAS BUSY OPENING THE COWL FLAPS, RETRACTING THE FLAPS, AND TURNING OFF THE CARB HEAT IN PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT TKOF WHEN I INADVERTENTLY RETRACTED THE GEAR. THE NOSE WHEEL RETRACTED BUT THE MAIN GEAR REMAINED DOWN AND LOCKED. THE ACFT SKIDDED TO A STOP ON THE RWY, DESTROYING THE PROP, DAMAGING THE NOSE GEAR DOOR AND SLIGHTLY DAMAGING THE COWL FLAPS AND UNDERSIDE OF THE COWLING. MAINT HAD BEEN DONE ON THE GEAR THE WEEK PRIOR FOR GEAR RETRACTION PROBS. THE GEAR WARNING HORN DID NOT ALWAYS COME ON WHEN THROTTLING BELOW 1500 RPM WITH THE GEAR UP DURING THE FLT. THIS HAS LED ME TO BELIEVE THE SQUAT SWITCH MAY NOT HAVE BEEN WORKING PROPERLY. I BELIEVE THERE ARE 3 LESSONS LEARNED. WHEN DOING TOUCH AND GO'S ON A SHORT RWY, LEAVE GEAR DOWN ALWAYS OR TAXI BACK. HAVING THE SQUAT SWITCH ONLY ON THE NOSE GEAR, LIKE AN SMA SEEMS LESS THAN ADEQUATE PROTECTION AGAINST AN INADVERTENT GEAR RETRACTION. THE SHOCK ON THE NOSE GEAR CAN BE EXTENDED, ON TAXI OR TKOF, LNDG ROLLS EVEN THOUGH THE ACFT WILL NOT FLY. THE MAIN GEAR SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY PLACE FOR A RELIABLE SQUAT SWITCH, SINCE THE WEIGHT OF THE ACFT IS ON THE MAINS UNTIL THE ACFT IS AIRBORNE. MAYBE THERE SHOULD BE A DOUBLE, OR 2 STEP SWITCH FOR GEAR RETRACTION. THIS WOULD GIVE THE PLT THAT EXTRA SPLIT SEC TO STOP AN INADVERTENT MOVE THAT RESULTED IN A NOSE GEAR RETRACTION FOR ME.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.