Viking/Turbo-Viking 17-30/31
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Flight Instructor
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 125; Flight Crew Total 8500; Flight Crew Type 5
Distraction; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Aircraft Aircraft Damaged; Flight Crew Rejected Takeoff
Aircraft; Human Factors
While practicing crosswind landing touch and goes the student pilot on the fifth landing and after touchdown; inadvertently put the landing gear handle in the up position during the ground roll instead of retracting the flaps. The gear handle and flap handle are both located in front and down by the floor of the pilot and co-pilots seats. The approximate aircraft speed at this time was 30 to 40 KTS. The aircraft started to feel like we had a flat tire; then the student added power and when I noticed the student put the gear handle up instead of the flaps. I pulled power and the aircraft never got airborne. The aircraft slid to a stop on the side of the runway with the gear retracted. We exited the aircraft with no injuries and minor damage to aircraft. This aircraft does incorporates a safety switch on the main gear to keep from inadvertently retracting the gear on the ground. This switch will be inspected to see if this was a contributing factor for the gear retracting while the aircraft was still on the ground.
A flight instructor and student pilot experienced an inadvertent landing gear retraction during a touch-and-go landing. The aircraft settled onto the runway and slid to a stop with no reported injuries.