Incident Overview
A pilot flying a twin-engine, retractable-gear airplane experienced an accident while attempting touch-and-go landings. According to the pilot, the first landing was "textbook." During the landing rollout, the pilot attempted to raise the wing flaps for takeoff but "mistook the gear lever for the flaps." As a result, the landing gear began to retract.
Sequence of Events
The pilot added power to "overcome the sinking," but the right propeller struck the ground, and the airplane "spun to the right." The aircraft came to rest upright in a grassy area between the runway and taxiway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage.
Pilot Experience
The pilot reported 50 hours of flight time in the accident airplane and flew it "every couple of weeks." The pilot's most recent experience in the accident airplane make and model was 30 days prior to the accident.
Cockpit Design
The airplane's landing gear and flap control levers were the same color and approximately the same size, but were located on opposite sides of the control column.