Piper PA-39-160 Twin Comanche damaged after inadvertent retraction of landing gear during landing

On October 29, 2023, at about 1156 local time, a Piper PA-39-160 Twin Comanche C/R, N289WW, sustained substantial damage when it was involved in an accident at Franklin County State Airport (FSO/KFSO), Highgate, Vermont. The airline transport pilot (ATP) and three passengers were not injured.
The pilot reported that during the landing rollout on a 3,001-ft-long, asphalt runway, he intended to retract the flaps, but instead he retracted the landing gear. The result was that all three of the landing gear assemblies retracted into their respective wheel wells during the landing roll. The lower fuselage stringers were substantially damaged. The pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions with the airplane.
The airplane was equipped with a squat switch on the left main landing gear that was designed to prevent the landing gear from inadvertently retracting; however, the switch required that sufficient weight be on the landing gear in order to work effectively. The pilot stated, and a video of the landing confirmed, that the airplane was still moving at relatively high speed when he selected the landing gear handle to the retracted position. The pilot reported that the squat switch was tested at the last annual inspection and that it operated normally during the inspection. Based on this information, it is likely that the airplane's wings were still generating lift when the landing gear handle was selected to the retracted position and the gear struts was not compressed enough to activate the squat switch.
Probable Cause: The pilot's inadvertent retraction of the landing gear during landing rollout, which resulted in a landing gear collapse.
- Report:
data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/ap...
- Docket:
data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectI...

[@TurningFinalOfficial]

The sound of the props slapping the asphalt hurts my soul.

[@a-fl-man640]

gear on twin comanche folded up on me in 77 or so during multi training w/ a flight instructor on board. going about 90mph shooting touch and goes in Brooksville Fl.

[@_Joy_Unleashed]

Those crank shafts won't be happy from the duel prop strikes!

[@Flying2Sea]

And there goes another bump for insurance rates in RG aircraft.....

[@ludastorm]

He had no reason to retract the flaps during roll out. There was still a lot of runway. This is used for short field landings.

[@countryfence8111]

I'm not afraid to retract the flaps on roll out on my retractable, if the situation requires it...but why do it if you don't need to?

[@CFITOMAHAWK2]

@@countryfence8111 Just to practice.

[@shazam6274]

A Very expensive "OOPS"!

[@kirknewton100]

Expensive error.... I have no doubt he's learnt the lesson. Good after dinner speach from now on though.

[@smaze1782]

Vertical filming in 2024? C’mon y’all. Unless he was doing touch and goes, there was no need to retract the flaps that quickly.

[@eradicator187]

Expensive mistake 😵‍💫

[@ahmadsamadzai8255]

Oh very nice.....oooooops. shit.

[@WX4CB]

im guessing it doesnt have a squat switch ?

[@dennisc6716]

There wasn't sufficient weight on it yet to activate it.

[@WX4CB]

ahh that makes sense. never thought of that
@@dennisc6716

[@OttoByOgraffey]

Description

[@HiddenWindshield]

Watch the video.

[@fromaggiovagiola9128]

I thought the knob would be a wheel.

[@CFITOMAHAWK2]

It is. The guy is an idiot.

[@nickm764]

In this case the Knob was the pilot.