What happened
A flight departing from Papeete-Faaa, intended for local post-maintenance duties, encountered critical difficulties shortly after takeoff. The aircraft was operated with a crew consisting of one pilot and one engineer.
During the initial climb phase, the pilot notified Air Traffic Control of ongoing issues regarding the aircraft's controllability. Due to the inability to maintain stable flight, the pilot made the decision to ditch the aircraft a few hundred metres from the coast. Following the impact with the water, the aircraft settled on the seabed at a depth of 21 metres. Both the pilot and the engineer successfully reached the shore after the incident.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced control problems during the early stages of the climb.
- The decision to ditch was necessitated by the loss of flight control stability.