Incident Details
A flight instructor and his commercial-rated student were conducting landing practice in the traffic pattern. According to the instructor, they approached "a little fast" and upon touchdown, the aircraft ballooned back into the air. The student corroborated this account, stating that they were doing landings and approached fast, leading to a balloon. During the confusion, the student was unsure of the instructor's commands.
Sequence of Events
After the balloon, the aircraft touched down a second time. At that point, the right main landing gear and the nose landing gear collapsed. The propellers subsequently struck the runway surface.
Instructor's Statement
The flight instructor reported to an FAA inspector that the student is believed to have inadvertently moved the gear selector switch from the down position to the up position, causing the landing gear to retract. This movement occurred during the balloon and the subsequent confusion.
Student's Account
The pilot receiving instruction described the event as a fast approach leading to a balloon. He noted that the instructor was yelling, and in the confusion, he was not sure what was being said. He did not provide additional details regarding the gear selector.
Conclusion
The landing gear collapse occurred during a second touchdown after a ballooned landing. The instructor attributed the gear collapse to the student accidentally moving the gear selector to the up position.