What happened
The incident occurred during a training session involving a certified flight instructor (CFI) and a private-rated student pilot. The pair was conducting touch-and-go landings to practice takeoff and landing procedures. After the aircraft touched down on the runway, the student pilot initiated the climb-out sequence but made a critical control error.
Instead of advancing the throttles to add power for the climb, the student retracted the flaps and then reached for the landing gear handle. The CFI immediately shouted 'no' in an attempt to correct the action. The student released the gear handle and applied full power, but the right main landing gear had already been retracted into the fuselage.
The asymmetric drag caused the airplane to yaw sharply to the right. The aircraft left the paved surface and came to a stop in the adjacent grass. No injuries were reported, and the damage was limited to the right main landing gear assembly.
The investigation
Examination of the aircraft revealed that the right main landing gear was fully retracted. The control linkage for the gear was intact, indicating no mechanical failure. The flight data confirmed that the gear handle had been moved during the climb phase following touchdown.
Findings
The primary factor was the student pilot's misidentification of controls. During the high-workload phase of a touch-and-go, the student confused the landing gear selector with the throttle quadrant. This error led to an unintended gear retraction and loss of directional control upon deployment of asymmetric drag.
Safety message
This event highlights the importance of precise cockpit resource management and cross-checking during critical flight phases. Instructors should emphasize muscle memory verification for gear and flap positions, especially in aircraft with retractable landing gear.