What happened
On July 4, 1968, a Beech D95A Travel Air, registration HB-GDH, was conducting an instrument flight rules (IFR) training flight when it experienced a landing gear failure during touchdown at Geneva Airport. The flight, operated by a flight school from Montreux, was being flown by a student pilot accompanied by an instructor. The flight included an NDB approach to Bern before returning to Geneva for an ILS approach.
During the approach, the instructor performed engine-out exercises and removed the student's view-limiting device to allow for a visual landing. The student pilot successfully touched down on the first quarter of runway 23 with the landing gear and flaps extended. After rolling approximately 200 meters down the runway, the student attempted to retract the flaps but mistakenly operated the landing gear selector instead. Although the instructor attempted to intervene, the gear retracted immediately, causing the aircraft to slide on its belly until it came to a halt near taxiway 7.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft's mechanical systems and the cockpit configuration. It was noted that on this aircraft type, the flap and landing gear selectors are located at the bottom of the instrument panel on either side of the pitch control, with the gear selector positioned on the right. The investigation confirmed that the landing gear mechanism was powered by an electric motor and that a safety circuit breaker, designed to prevent gear retraction while the aircraft is on the ground, was present on the left wheel strut.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was a pilot error in which the student pilot confused the flap selector with the landing gear selector.
- The safety mechanism intended to prevent accidental gear retraction while the aircraft was on the ground failed to prevent the incident because the selector was activated while the wings were still generating sufficient lift.
- The investigation concluded that the error would likely have been avoided had the pilot not acted with such haste and had waited until the landing roll was completed before attempting to retract the flaps.