PVT PLT OF A BEECH BARON; BE58; LOST TEMPORARY CTL OF THE ACFT DURING A TOUCH-AND-GO TKOF WHEN LEVELING OFF TOO EARLY AFTER RETRACTING THE LNDG GEAR CAUSING A PROP STRIKE.

Narrative

PLT WAS FLYING LOCALLY ON A GOOD VFR DAY. CONCLUDING THE FLT; PLT ASKED FOR A TOUCH-AND-GO (FOR PRACTICE). LNDG WENT WELL; FLAPS CAME UP; PWRED UP AND STARTED ROTATION. PLT ENGAGED WHEELS UP LEVEL LOW TO GND; PLANE SETTLED ENOUGH FOR A PROP STRIKE (R). CONTINUED TOUCH-AND-GO WITH R ENG FULLY WORKING BUT WHEELS WERE IN 1/2 POS. PLT INITIATED MANUAL EXTENSION. WHEELS CAME DOWN. DID A FLY-BY FOR TWR TO CHK CONDITION OF WHEELS. TWR SAID THAT WHEELS APPEARED TO BE DOWN. PLT CHKED FOR VISUAL INDICATOR OF NOSEWHEEL -- IT SHOWED POS DOWN. PLT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. ACTIONS TAKEN AFTER INITIAL INCIDENT WERE VERY SMOOTH WITHOUT PANIC; NO EMER WAS DECLARED; NO FIRE EQUIP WAS CALLED. JUDGEMENTS MADE WERE WELL BASED. IF GEAR UTILIZED GND PROX DETECTORS (SET TO A DIMINIMOUS AGL) IN A LOCKOUT (BEFORE UP) AND/OR WARNING (IF LOW AND NOT DOWN); THEN SUCH AN INCIDENT COULD NOT HAPPEN. THE SYS (IN SERIES) SHOULD ALLOW PLT TO OVERRIDE THE LOCKOUT/WARNING SYS. SUCH A SYS WOULD NOT BE SO OVERLY EXPENSIVE TO HAVE INSTALLED (WHEN CONSIDERING THAT SUCH AN ACFT COSTS ABOUT $1;000;000 NEW).