Primary finding
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to retract the landing gear during a water landing, which resulted in a nose over. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to properly use a prelanding checklist.
Investigator assessment
Analysis narrative
The pilot of the amphibious float plane departed from a lake to a local airfield to refuel. After refueling, he departed the airport but neglected to retract the landing gear and he flew back to the same lake. During the touchdown, the float plane nosed over, and the engine truss was substantially damaged. The pilot added that he would modify his takeoff and prelanding checklist procedure to better verify the configuration of the landing gear. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe and engine that would have precluded normal operation.