Beech 35-B33 D-EJPU Inadvertent Gear Retraction at Bolzano Airport

Incident Overview and Aircraft Details On March 15, 2009, at approximately 11:50 local time, a Beech 35-B33 with registration D-EJPU was involved in an incident at Bolzano Airport. The aircraft, a single-engine, low-wing, retractable-gear airplane built in 1962 with serial number CD-499, was operated by a private individual for a tourism flight. The pilot, a 33-year-old Italian male, held a valid private pilot license with single-engine land rating and a class 2 medical certificate. At the time of the incident, he had approximately 130 total flight hours, including four flights on the D-EJPU in the preceding 90 days. The aircraft's airworthiness certificate was valid, and its last annual inspection was completed on July 6, 2008. ## Sequence of Events and Damage The D-EJPU departed Bolzano Airport at 11:15 local time and landed at the same airport after approximately 35 minutes of flight. While still moving on the runway after landing, the landing gear retracted, causing the aircraft to impact the runway surface. The aircraft continued to move on the ground for approximately ten meters before coming to a stop. The pilot stated that he had mistakenly actuated the landing gear retraction lever instead of the flap lever. The passenger aboard sustained injuries, and the aircraft suffered extensive damage to the propellers and the lower fuselage. No third-party damage was reported. ## Contributing Factors and Safety Analysis The investigation identified the pilot's inadvertent actuation of the landing gear lever in place of the flap lever during the landing roll as the cause of the incident. Contributing factors included the execution of the after-landing checklist before clearing the runway, the failure of the original safety switch to prevent gear retraction on the ground, and the absence of optional modifications recommended by the manufacturer. The safety switch, designed to disable the gear retraction circuit when the main gear legs were compressed, likely failed to engage due to the aircraft's sustained speed, which generated lift and reduced gear leg compression. Additionally, the D-EJPU featured a cockpit configuration where the gear lever was positioned to the right of the flap lever, a layout inverted from the standard arrangement on most retractable-gear aircraft. The manufacturer had issued Service Instructions 0938 and 1215 to address this issue, but these modifications were not installed on the D-EJPU. The investigation noted a known history of similar incidents involving the Beech 35-B33, with nine cases of inadvertent gear retraction on the ground reported by the NTSB between 1964 and 1979. The AOPA Air Safety Foundation and the FAA have recommended completing the after-landing checklist only after clearing the runway to prevent such occurrences.