Introduction
A pilot conducting touch-and-go landings inadvertently retracted the landing gear instead of the wing flaps, leading to a collapse of the gear and substantial damage to both wings. The accident occurred during the pilot's first landing attempt after an extended period without flying the accident airplane.
Circumstances
The pilot had accumulated 26 hours of flight time in the accident airplane approximately two years prior to the accident and had not flown it since. About one week before the accident, the pilot obtained an airplane multiengine rating in a different make and model than the accident airplane. The purpose of the flight was to perform full-stop landings to familiarize himself with the airplane.
While on the downwind leg of the traffic pattern for the first landing, the air traffic control tower cleared the pilot for a touch-and-go landing. After touchdown, the pilot applied full power and intended to retract the wing flaps but inadvertently retracted the landing gear instead. The landing gear immediately collapsed, and the airplane slid to a stop on its underside.
Damage
Both wings sustained substantial damage as a result of the gear collapse and subsequent slide.
Pilot Statement
The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane. He stated that the accident might have been prevented if he had declined the touch-and-go landing and had taken time to become more familiar with the locations of the landing gear and flap controls. He noted that he had recently trained in an airplane with a different layout and that his "sense memory for the controls was wrong."