PLT TRAINEE ATTEMPTING TO RETRACT FLAPS IN SMA ACFT WHILE TAXIING RETRACTED NOSE GEAR. ACFT NOSE SETTLED TO PAVEMENT.

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I WAS THE PLT INSTRUCTOR. MY STUDENT WAS THE TEENAGE SON OF THE ACFT OWNER. AT THE REQUEST OF THE OWNER I HAD GIVEN THE STUDENT A DUAL XCOUNTRY FLT TO CHATTANOOGA; TN. WE HAD RETURNED TO THE HUNTSVILLE INTL ARPT AND COMPLETED OUR LNDG. WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC TO TAXI TO THE RAMP BY THE GND CTLR. THIS WAS A NIGHT TAXI OP AND AT THIS TIME MY FULL ATTN WAS DIRECTED OUTSIDE THE ACFT. THE STUDENT PLT WITHOUT COMMENT OR WARNING ATTEMPTED TO RETRACT THE ACFT FLAPS USING THE GEAR KNOB. THE NOSE WHEEL OF THE ACFT UNLOCKED ALLOWING THE ACFT NOSE TO SETTLE ON THE ASPHALT SURFACE. I PREVIOUSLY HAD GIVEN THIS STUDENT APPROX 19 HRS OF INSTRUCTION. THIS WAS OUR FIRST FLT IN THE SINGLE ENG ACFT ALTHOUGH THE STUDENT HAD RECEIVED DUAL INSTRUCTION IN THIS ACFT BY ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR. DURING OUR EXTERIOR PREFLT OF THE ACFT ALL GEAR LIMIT AND SQUAT SWITCHES WERE NOTED BY POS AND THEIR OPERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS. OUR INTERIOR PREFLT INCLUDED A DISCUSSION OF ALL SWITCHES AND KNOBS INCLUDING THE SHAPE; POS AND FUNCTION OF THE GEAR AND FLAP SWITCHES. IT HAD ALSO BEEN EXPLAINED THAT POST LNDG CONFIGN CLEANUP WOULD BE CONDUCTED AFTER THE ACFT WAS CLR THE RWY AREA. AFTER MAKING THIS MISTAKE THE STUDENT EXPLAINED THAT HE UNDERSTOOD THE SYS OP; THAT HE ERRED IN ATTEMPTING TO RETRACT THE FLAPS WITH THE GEAR KNOB AND THAT CONFIGN CHANGES SHOULD HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED AFTER STOPPING THE ACFT OR BY ASKING MY ASSISTANCE AFTER TURNING OFF THE RWY. IN RETROSPECT I CANNOT THINK OF ANY ACTION ON MY PART THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THE OCCURRENCE OF THIS EVENT. I CONTACTED THE LCL FLT STANDARDS OFFICE WHO ADVISED THAT THIS EVENT WAS NOT CLASSIFIED AS AN ACCIDENT AND THAT NO FURTHER ACTION WAS REQUIRED ON MY PART.