Incident Overview
A floatplane equipped with amphibious floats flipped inverted during a landing on water. The pilot had originally taken off from a land airport and intended to remain in the traffic pattern for a landing there. However, while on the downwind leg with the wheels extended for a terrain landing, the pilot observed deteriorating weather from the west and decided to proceed directly to a nearby lake to pick up a planned passenger.
Sequence of Events
During the approach for the water landing, the pilot forgot that the wheels were still extended. When the aircraft touched down on the water, the extended wheels caught the surface, causing the aircraft to flip inverted. The pilot had specifically planned to land on water and retrieve a passenger from the lake, but the oversight of the landing gear position led to the accident.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the pilot's failure to retract the landing gear before the water landing was the direct cause of the aircraft flipping inverted. No other factors were cited.