Incident Summary
The aircraft experienced a landing gear collapse after touching down on Runway 27. The event occurred when the landing gear retracted unexpectedly during the landing roll.
Sequence of Events
After landing, the pilot reduced the aircraft's speed to approximately 30 mph. The aircraft had rolled out about 1,000 feet when the landing gear warning horn sounded and all three landing gear struts collapsed. The pilot reached for the landing gear control lever, which he found in the up position. However, the gear completed its retraction sequence before the pilot could intervene. The aircraft then skidded along the runway for approximately 127 feet before coming to a stop.
Investigation
Post-incident testing of the squat switch, as reported by the pilot, revealed that the switch had failed. The squat switch is a component that indicates to the landing gear system whether the aircraft is on the ground or in the air. Its failure allowed the gear to retract despite the aircraft being on the runway.