What happened
During a check ride intended for the reinstatement of an airline transport pilot's flight instructor certificate, an amphibian float equipped airplane experienced a nose-over event. The flight was being conducted under the direction of an FAA inspector to demonstrate techniques for a glassy water landing.
Shortly after the aircraft touched down on the water, it slowly nosed over. Both the pilot and the FAA inspector were not injured and successfully evacuated the aircraft.
The investigation
The investigation revealed that the pilot had departed from a hard surface runway earlier in the flight. Due to specific departure instructions provided by the air traffic control tower, the pilot elected to leave the landing gear extended longer than usual for the route of flight. The pilot admitted to forgetting to retract the wheels prior to performing the water landing. The FAA inspector noted that they were also unaware that the wheels remained extended. Mechanical examination confirmed that the landing gear indicator light was functional at the time of the incident.