On 30 September 2015, a Bombardier DHC-8 400 being operated by an airline based in Luxemburg and holding a Luxemburg AOC on a scheduled passenger flight from Hamburg to Luxemburg via Saarbrucken failed to get airborne in normal day visibility at the end of its take-off roll when the landing gear unexpectedly retracted. It then slid almost to the end of the runway before stopping. There was no fire but an immediate passenger emergency evacuation was initiated by the cabin crew because of "smoke and an acrid metallic smell" which had developed during the slide along the runway. None of the 20 occupants were injured but the aircraft sustained severe damage
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Seems the first officer inadvertently selected wheels up too early. During simulator training in Australia, it is not uncommon to see the PM reach across and place his hand on the undercarriage lever at VR in anticipation of the PF calling gear up. On a similar vein, when the captain's static vent is blocked during the take off roll as part of the erroneous airspeed exercise in the 737 simulator, the first indication after lift off is that the captains altimeter and VSI does not move due to the blocked static vent. On the other side of the cockpit, the first officer's altimeter and VSI work normally. The F/O sees his instruments displaying a positive rate of climb and calls "positive rate" Invariably the PF replies "Gear Up" when in fact he does not have an indication that his altimeter and VSI are going up. In other words the PF hears the call of "Positive rate of Climb" and without hesitation answers with "gear UP' because that is always what he has done.
The incident described in the report describes succinctly the danger of early anticipation. Good time to sit on your hands?