Incident Summary
The pilot of an airplane commenced the takeoff roll. As the aircraft accelerated to approximately 90 knots, the pilot removed his hands from the throttles and began applying back pressure to lift off. Almost immediately, the aircraft started to sink, and the sound of the propellers striking the runway was heard. All three landing gear were partially retracted as the airplane slid along the runway surface, coming to a stop. The accident resulted in substantial damage to the belly structure. The pilot and both passengers were not injured.
Sequence of Events
After the accident, the pilot determined that he had inadvertently left the landing gear switch in the "up" position while completing other items on the cockpit checklist. During recovery operations, the airplane was jacked up, and the landing gear was extended normally without further issues.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of the accident was the pilot inadvertently leaving the landing gear switch in the "up" position during the pre-takeoff checklist.