Incident Overview
A student pilot, preparing for a water landing, inadvertently lowered the landing gear while on the downwind leg. The aircraft then turned from base leg to final approach. Upon touchdown on the lake surface, the aircraft nosed over and came to rest inverted in the water.
Investigation Findings
Investigation revealed that the landing gear indicator lights had not been modified following the installation of floats. Standard modifications for float-equipped aircraft involve changing the landing gear up light from amber to blue for water operations, and the landing gear down indication from green to amber for land operations. The lack of these modifications may have contributed to the pilot's confusion regarding the gear position.
Aircraft Damage
The aircraft sustained damage as a result of nosing over and coming to rest inverted. Details of the extent of damage were not specified in the available information.
Pilot Information
The pilot was a student pilot. No further details about the pilot's experience or qualifications were provided.
Operational Context
The accident occurred during a flight that involved a planned water landing. The aircraft was equipped with floats at the time of the incident. The sequence of events began on the downwind leg, where the landing gear was inadvertently lowered.