What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Investigation: our office was notified on January 31, 2022 of an airplane incident that occurred on January 31, 2022 at 8:32 local time (15:32Z). Instructor pilot was flying N447UV, a Piper seminole PA-44, with a student and was landing at Provo Municipal Airport (kpvu). Upon landing the aircraft experienced a collapse of the nose gear due to the airman, instructor, inadvertently retracting the gear handle on the ground which is a violation of title 14 CFR part 91.13. The pilot?s bill of rights was emailed to the airman on February 2, 2022.
The aircraft experienced a prop strikes on both sides of the aircraft, requiring replacement of both propellers. The nose cone sustained extensive damage and scraping but was repairable. Both nose gear doors were damaged beyond repair, requiring replacement along with the two rods, which held the gear doors on.
Both pilot?s on board were uninjured.
Airman instructor and his student returned to Provo Municipal Airport (kpvu) after a dual instruction local flight. They planned to practice short field landings in the pattern before finishing their flight. The student performed the first landing and takeoff in the pattern. Then the instructor took the controls on the downwind to demonstrate a short field landing. The instructor stated that he performed a before landing check and put the gear down. He verified that the gear indicator lights were all green and that the gear was down and locked. He landed the aircraft and after touch down he stated that he inadvertently pulled the gear up in the process of trying to reconfigure the airplane for takeoff. The nose gear collapsed and the nose cone and propellers struck the pavement, skidding the aircraft to a stop on the runway.
The pilot flying (instructor) stated that there was not anything mechanically wrong with the aircraft?s landing gear. He believes there were a few factors that led to his inadvertent retraction of the gear on the ground. The airman stated that because he was performing a touch and go, instead of a stop and go landing, he was rushed. He stated that in the future he is going to only do stop and go landings when performing short field landings and if not, he is going to ensure that he is methodical and careful when reconfiguring the aircraft for takeoff. He also said that he was overly focused on teaching his student how to fly a stabilized approach and the procedures for the short field landing. He believes that his over concentration on teaching all the way through the flare and touchdown took away from his full concentration during the landing and rollout. Lastly, that airman (instructor) said that the previous flight he had done was in a katana. The katana?s flaps are located in a similar area as the gear switch in the seminole. He believes that muscle memory may have caused him to reach for the gear thinking he was reaching for the flaps.
Corrective action: on March 9, 2022 counseling was conducted to discuss aeronautical decision making, short field approach and landing, human factors, techniques of flight instruction, the learning process and risk management.
Comments: I used counseling to regain safe operations. I am satisfied the certificate holder?s corrective actions fully address the identified causes and have reestablished safe operations. I recommended no further action.
As the FAA filed it
INVESTIGATION: OUR OFFICE WAS NOTIFIED ON JANUARY 31, 2022 OF AN AIRPLANE INCIDENT THAT OCCURRED ON JANUARY 31, 2022 AT 8:32 LOCAL TIME (15:32Z). INSTRUCTOR PILOT WAS FLYING N447UV, A PIPER SEMINOLE PA-44, WITH A STUDENT AND WAS LANDING AT PROVO MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KPVU). UPON LANDING THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A COLLAPSE OF THE NOSE GEAR DUE TO THE AIRMAN, INSTRUCTOR, INADVERTENTLY RETRACTING THE GEAR HANDLE ON THE GROUND WHICH IS A VIOLATION OF TITLE 14 CFR PART 91.13. THE PILOT?S BILL OF RIGHTS WAS EMAILED TO THE AIRMAN ON FEBRUARY 2, 2022.
THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A PROP STRIKES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AIRCRAFT, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT OF BOTH PROPELLERS. THE NOSE CONE SUSTAINED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE AND SCRAPING BUT WAS REPAIRABLE. BOTH NOSE GEAR DOORS WERE DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR, REQUIRING REPLACEMENT ALONG WITH THE TWO RODS, WHICH HELD THE GEAR DOORS ON.
BOTH PILOT?S ON BOARD WERE UNINJURED.
AIRMAN INSTRUCTOR AND HIS STUDENT RETURNED TO PROVO MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (KPVU) AFTER A DUAL INSTRUCTION LOCAL FLIGHT. THEY PLANNED TO PRACTICE SHORT FIELD LANDINGS IN THE PATTERN BEFORE FINISHING THEIR FLIGHT. THE STUDENT PERFORMED THE FIRST LANDING AND TAKEOFF IN THE PATTERN. THEN THE INSTRUCTOR TOOK THE CONTROLS ON THE DOWNWIND TO DEMONSTRATE A SHORT FIELD LANDING. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT HE PERFORMED A BEFORE LANDING CHECK AND PUT THE GEAR DOWN. HE VERIFIED THAT THE GEAR INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE ALL GREEN AND THAT THE GEAR WAS DOWN AND LOCKED. HE LANDED THE AIRCRAFT AND AFTER TOUCH DOWN HE STATED THAT HE INADVERTENTLY PULLED THE GEAR UP IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO RECONFIGURE THE AIRPLANE FOR TAKEOFF. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED AND THE NOSE CONE AND PROPELLERS STRUCK THE PAVEMENT, SKIDDING THE AIRCRAFT TO A STOP ON THE RUNWAY.
THE PILOT FLYING (INSTRUCTOR) STATED THAT THERE WAS NOT ANYTHING MECHANICALLY WRONG WITH THE AIRCRAFT?S LANDING GEAR. HE BELIEVES THERE WERE A FEW FACTORS THAT LED TO HIS INADVERTENT RETRACTION OF THE GEAR ON THE GROUND. THE AIRMAN STATED THAT BECAUSE HE WAS PERFORMING A TOUCH AND GO, INSTEAD OF A STOP AND GO LANDING, HE WAS RUSHED. HE STATED THAT IN THE FUTURE HE IS GOING TO ONLY DO STOP AND GO LANDINGS WHEN PERFORMING SHORT FIELD LANDINGS AND IF NOT, HE IS GOING TO ENSURE THAT HE IS METHODICAL AND CAREFUL WHEN RECONFIGURING THE AIRCRAFT FOR TAKEOFF. HE ALSO SAID THAT HE WAS OVERLY FOCUSED ON TEACHING HIS STUDENT HOW TO FLY A STABILIZED APPROACH AND THE PROCEDURES FOR THE SHORT FIELD LANDING. HE BELIEVES THAT HIS OVER CONCENTRATION ON TEACHING ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE FLARE AND TOUCHDOWN TOOK AWAY FROM HIS FULL CONCENTRATION DURING THE LANDING AND ROLLOUT. LASTLY, THAT AIRMAN (INSTRUCTOR) SAID THAT THE PREVIOUS FLIGHT HE HAD DONE WAS IN A KATANA. THE KATANA?S FLAPS ARE LOCATED IN A SIMILAR AREA AS THE GEAR SWITCH IN THE SEMINOLE. HE BELIEVES THAT MUSCLE MEMORY MAY HAVE CAUSED HIM TO REACH FOR THE GEAR THINKING HE WAS REACHING FOR THE FLAPS.
CORRECTIVE ACTION: ON MARCH 9, 2022 COUNSELING WAS CONDUCTED TO DISCUSS AERONAUTICAL DECISION MAKING, SHORT FIELD APPROACH AND LANDING, HUMAN FACTORS, TECHNIQUES OF FLIGHT INSTRUCTION, THE LEARNING PROCESS AND RISK MANAGEMENT.
COMMENTS: I USED COUNSELING TO REGAIN SAFE OPERATIONS. I AM SATISFIED THE CERTIFICATE HOLDER?S CORRECTIVE ACTIONS FULLY ADDRESS THE IDENTIFIED CAUSES AND HAVE REESTABLISHED SAFE OPERATIONS. I RECOMMENDED NO FURTHER ACTION.