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CFI mistakes landing gear lever and flap lever

By NTSB · July 7, 2022 ·

The purpose of the flight in the Beech 33 was for both flight instructors to perform a proficiency flight with one another.

After performing maneuvers in the practice area, they returned to the airport to conduct touch-and-go practice takeoffs and landings.

After the right-seated flight instructor made two landings, the left-seated flight instructor conducted the landing. After touchdown, while the airplane was in the landing roll, the left-seated flight instructor moved the landing gear position selection lever to the “up” position instead of the flap lever.

Both instructors realized the mistake and attempted to move the gear lever back to the “down” position, but the left landing gear had already collapsed. The landing gear continued to retract and they became airborne.

After performing troubleshooting of the landing gear and a fly-by, they decided to land at another airport in Redmond, Oregon, with more facilities.

The right-seated flight instructor performed the landing at the alternate airport and the airplane rolled on all three landing gear for about 1,000 feet. The left landing gear then collapsed and the airplane veered off the runway.

The left aileron sustained damage as a result of the gear collapse.

Probable Cause: The left seated flight instructor’s improper manipulation of the landing gear position selection lever to the up position while still on the landing roll, which ultimately resulted in a landing gear collapse during a subsequent landing.

NTSB Identification: 101565

To download the final report. Click here. This will trigger a PDF download to your device.

This July 2020 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.

About NTSB

The National Transportation Safety Board is an independent federal agency charged by Congress with investigating every civil aviation accident in the United States and significant events in the other modes of transportation, including railroad, transit, highway, marine, pipeline, and commercial space. It determines the probable causes of accidents and issues safety recommendations aimed at preventing future occurrences.

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Comments

  1. Jim+in+TN says

    July 7, 2022 at 7:34 am

    I HATE IT when that happens! But seriously, any time on the ground that I touch the flap lever in my plane (a Globe Swift), I look at it and say word “flaps” before moving the switch to the retract position. When flying formation, we brief formation members to use this technique after landing, before they raise the flaps on the leader’s command.
    This can help ensure the pilot is actuating the flaps, and not the gear by mistake.

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