Event Description
A checkout flight was in progress with the pilot-in-command (PIC) in the right seat and a trainee in the left seat. As power was increased for takeoff during a touch-and-go landing, the PIC heard the propellers strike the runway. The trainee lifted the aircraft off the ground, but the PIC assumed command and landed the airplane due to the unknown extent of damage to the propellers.
Actions Taken
During the landing, the PIC intentionally retracted the main gear to reduce the aircraft's stopping distance. No unsafe gear indications were noted during that landing or any of the previous touch-and-go landings. Proper operation of the gear warning systems was confirmed.
Previous Observations
The PIC stated that a buffeting was experienced during a previous landing, but the nose gear retraction could not be duplicated during subsequent testing.