What happened
On 14 August 2008, a Piper PA-28RT-201 Cherokee Arrow IV, registration G-BPZM, was conducting a training flight at Exeter Airport, Devon. The flight was part of an Instrument Rating (IR) course. During the ILS approach, the instructor performed two flap selections, while the student pilot successfully completed the landing.
During the landing roll, a loud impact was heard, and the aircraft veered toward the right side of the runway. Upon completing the post-flight shutdown procedures, the instructor discovered that the landing gear selector lever had been moved to the 'UP' position. The incident resulted in a destroyed propeller, a shock-loaded engine, and damage to the engine cowling and the lower surface of the right wing. There were no injuries to the two crew members on board.
The investigation
The investigation focused on why the landing gear was retracted while the aircraft was still on the ground. It was noted that the student pilot had recently completed a multi-engine conversion course in a Beechcraft Duchess. Because the flap selector in the Duchess is located in a similar position to the selector in the Cherokee Arrow, the student likely confused the controls. In the rush to retract the flaps, the student accidentally moved the landing gear lever.
Findings
- The student pilot inadvertently retracted the landing gear while the aircraft was in the landing roll.
- The student's recent experience in a different aircraft type contributed to the error, as the control layout for the flap selector was similar.
- The landing gear retracted because the gear selector was moved to the 'UP' position while the aircraft was still on the ground.
- The retraction was possible because the landing gear was selected shortly after touchdown, at a point when the oleo strut may not have been sufficiently compressed to trigger the microswitch that prevents gear retraction on the ground.