What happened
During a multi-engine class certification flight test, the applicant pilot was operating a Piper PA39. The pilot had previously been conducting training in a Piper PA23-160, which features a cockpit configuration where the landing gear selector handle is located on the right side of the power quadrant and the flap selector is on the left. Because the PA23-160 was in maintenance, the Piper PA39 was used for the check ride instead.
The cockpit layout of the Piper PA39 is reversed, with the landing gear selector handle positioned on the left side of the power quadrant and the flap selector on the right. During the traffic pattern, the pilot examiner verified that the landing gear handle was in the DOWN position, confirmed by three green indicator lights. The aircraft completed a normal landing.
During the landing rollout, the examiner's attention was momentarily diverted while searching for the radio microphone. Upon looking back at the controls, the examiner observed the aircraft settling on the runway with the landing gear selector handle in the UP position. The pilot stated that while attempting to reach for the flap handle to retract the flaps, he mistakenly moved the gear handle.