Accident Overview
A pilot reported that after completing an uneventful local flight, an error during the landing rollout led to damage to the aircraft's nose landing gear. The pilot stated that as the airplane slowed on the runway, he inadvertently moved the landing gear handle instead of the flap handle. This action caused the nose landing gear to retract or collapse, resulting in structural damage.
Damage and Circumstances
The collapse of the nose landing gear damaged the nose gear support fittings and the nose gear assembly. The pilot noted that no failures or malfunctions had been present with the airplane prior to the accident. The flight had otherwise proceeded normally until the landing rollout.
Pilot Actions
During the rollout, the pilot's selection of the wrong control—the landing gear handle rather than the flap handle—was identified as the direct cause of the gear collapse. The pilot did not report any other contributing factors or system anomalies.
Investigation Findings
The investigation relied on the pilot's account of the event. No additional details about the aircraft, location, or time of day were provided. The incident highlights the importance of proper control identification during high-workload phases of flight.