DEN01LA114

The instructor told an FAA inspector that he and his commercial-rated student had been in the pattern doing landings. He further stated that they came in "a little fast and when we touched down we ballooned." The pilot receiving instruction stated that "we were doing landings and approached a little fast and when the airplane touched down, we ballooned back into the air...the instructor was yelling at me and in the confusion I was not exactly sure what the instructor was saying." When the airplane touched down a second time, the right main and nose landing gear collapsed, and the propellers hit the runway. The flight instructor stated that "the student is believed to have inadvertently moved the gear selector switch from the down position to the up position causing the landing gear to retract."

On June 9, 2001, at approximately 1255 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-34-200, N303RC, was substantially damaged during a touch-and-go landing at Provo Municipal Airport, Provo, Utah. The flight instructor and commercial pilot receiving instruction were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for this local instructional flight being conducted under Title 14 CFR Part 91. The flight originated at approximately 1100.

According to telephone statements obtained by an FAA Aviation Safety Inspector in the Salt Lake City Flight Standards District Office two days after the accident, the instructor stated that they had been in the pattern doing landings and that "we came in a little fast and when we touched down we ballooned." When they touched down a second time, the right main gear and nose gear collapsed, and the airplane skidded off to the right side of the runway. The pilot receiving instruction stated that "we were doing landings and approached a little fast and when we touched down we ballooned back into the air...the instructor was yelling at me and in the confusion, I was not exactly sure what the instructor was saying." When they touched down a second time, the right main and nose landing gear collapsed, and the propellers hit the runway.

The following is based on the instructor's accident report received at a later date. On the downwind leg, the pilot receiving instruction put the landing gear selector switch in the down position and all three green lights illuminated. The final approach and landing were normal. After the airplane was on the ground and the flaps were retracted, "the student is believed to have inadvertently moved the gear selector switch from the down position to the up position causing the landing gear to retract."

A maintenance manager for the Utah Valley State College examined the airplane. He said that the damage was "relatively slight." The right engine firewall was wrinkled at the lower right area just above the engine mount tube attachment point. Additional damage included the step aft of the right wing, wing and belly skins, the right hand wing tip, nose landing gear doors, and both propellers. The maintenance manager stated that he found the left main landing gear to be down and locked. After lifting the airplane off the ground, the landing gear extended properly. An inspection following the accident revealed no discrepancies or damage to the gear except to the nose landing gear doors.