On 28 May 2018, a BEECH D35 NO SERIES was involved in an aviation accident near Corona, CA. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot inadvertently retracted the landing gear during landing roll due to habit from flying other airplanes with the flap switch on the right side of the control column. This summary draws on records from NTSB; 6 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During landing roll, a pilot mistakenly retracted the landing gear instead of flaps due to habit from flying other aircraft. The left wing sustained substantial damage.
Accident Details
A pilot reported that during the landing roll of a retractable landing gear airplane, he reached for the flap switch to retract the flaps. However, he inadvertently retracted the landing gear instead. The flap and landing gear switches are located on the left and right sides of the control column, respectively.
Pilot's Account
The pilot stated that he had been flying other airplanes previously and had become accustomed to the flap switch being on the right side of the control column. This habit led to the error during the landing roll. He further reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Damage
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing as a result of the inadvertent landing gear retraction.
Probable cause
The pilot inadvertently retracted the landing gear during landing roll due to habit from flying other airplanes with the flap switch on the right side of the control column.