The pilot of the retractable-landing-gear Beech D35 reported that, during the landing roll, he reached for the flap switch to retract the flaps, and although the flap and landing gear switches are on the left and right side of the control column, respectively, he inadvertently retracted the landing gear.
He added that he had previously flown other airplanes that had the flap switch on the right side of the control column.
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing.
The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Probable cause: The pilot’s inadvertent landing gear retraction during the landing roll.
NTSB Identification: GAA18CA342
This May 2018 accident report is provided by the National Transportation Safety Board. Published as an educational tool, it is intended to help pilots learn from the misfortunes of others.
Either the squat switch was inop or the plane was not on the ground.
If you land with flaps let the plane slow so the struts compress.
Retraction of flaps after landing has minimal reduction.in ground roll. Holding the controlwheel aft does more to transfer weight to the mains and reduce landing roll.
Actually the idea behind aft control input after landing is to keep the AOA high which helps keep up the aerodynamic drag once the airplane is on the runway. This drag helps slow the airplane while minimizing the need to braking. You can watch an F-15 or F-16 land to see an extreme example of this at work.
Agree. With retracts, clear the runway and stop before executing any after-landing items and take your time.
Warren is correct, but I would practice this in all aircraft, not just retracts.
Yeah I agree. But was thinking of checkrides in fixed gear airplanes where raising the flaps is on the short-field landing checklist and the DPE is expecting that to be done.