Event Description
An aircraft experienced a nose-over event while performing a water landing. The aircraft was equipped with floats that incorporate wheels, allowing for both water and land operations. During the water landing, one of the wheels remained extended instead of being retracted.
Landing Gear System
The landing gear on this aircraft is manually retracted by the pilot. A mirror is provided to aid the pilot in visually confirming the gear position from the left seat. However, the mirror is reported to be difficult to read. Additionally, the gear indicators become unreliable when the aircraft operates in salt water, which may affect their accuracy during water landings.
Pilot Actions
The pilot reported that he visually checked to ensure the left gear was fully retracted. He did not perform a similar check for the right gear. According to the pilot, checking the right gear requires the pilot to unfasten the safety belt and lean over to look out the right side of the aircraft. The pilot did not perform this check, and the right wheel was not retracted prior to the water landing.
Design Considerations
The source notes that to visually confirm the right gear position, the pilot must undo the safety belt and look out the right side. A mirror is provided but is hard to read from the left seat. The gear indicators are also unreliable when the aircraft operates in salt water, as stated in the source.