A PVT PLT EXPERIENCES A GEAR COLLAPSE AND A PROP STRIKE ON HIS CHINESE MADE CJ6 WHEN HIS LEG ACCIDENTALLY HIT THE GEAR LEVER TO THE NEUTRAL POS DURING A LONG LNDG.

Narrative

ON JAN/XA/99 I WAS LNDG DURING DAYLIGHT HRS; IN CLR WX; NO WIND CONDITIONS AT MY HOME FIELD (O56; GNOSS FIELD) NEAR NOVATO; CA. I WAS PLTING AN EXPERIMENTAL ACFT; A CJ6 CHINESE MIL TRAINER. I HAD NOT FLOWN THIS ACFT FOR APPROX 1 MONTH. DURING THE APCH; THE GEAR AND FLAP DEPLOYED NORMALLY. GEAR DEPLOYMENT WAS CONFIRMED VISUALLY AND ELECTRONICALLY (LIGHTS). SPD ON FINAL APCH WAS SLIGHTLY FAST (90 KTS -- NORMAL IS 80-85 KTS) AND I DECIDED TO 'LAND LONG.' TOUCHDOWN WAS AT MIDFIELD ON RWY 31 AND WAS NORMAL IN ALL WAYS. I BRAKED 2 TIMES TO SLOW THE ACFT; WITHOUT PROBS. AS I APPLIED THE BRAKES A THIRD TIME; I FELT THE AIRPLANE 'SETTLE' AND REALIZED THE GEAR HAD COLLAPSED. ON ROLLOUT; I APPARENTLY HIT THE GEAR DEPLOYMENT LEVER WITH MY L KNEE; FORCING THE LEVER INTO THE NEUTRAL POS AND CAUSING THE GEAR TO COLLAPSE. THE PLANE WAS TRAVELING APPROX 10-15 MPH AT THIS POINT. THE ACFT CAME TO REST NEAR THE END OF RWY 31. I WAS THE PLT AND SOLE OCCUPANT AND WAS NOT INJURED. THERE WAS MINIMAL DAMAGE TO THE AIRFRAME; BUT THERE WAS A PROP STRIKE. THE ARPT WAS BRIEFLY CLOSED AS THE ACFT WAS RAISED AND TOWED OFF THE RWY. I BELIEVED THAT THE GEAR HANDLE IN ITS DETENT POS 'LOCKED' THE GEAR DOWN. THIS WAS PART OF MY PRIMARY AND RECURRENT TRAINING IN THIS ACFT. I SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED THAT THE MANUAL LOCK -- WHICH I THOUGHT WAS USED ONLY TO HOLD THE GEAR IN THE NEUTRAL POS; SHOULD ALSO BE ENGAGED WITH THE GEAR HANDLE IN THE 'DOWN' POS TO PREVENT THE GEAR HANDLE FROM INADVERTENTLY ENTERING THE NEUTRAL POS AS WAS THE CASE HERE.