What happened
During an active firefighting operation near Zadar, the crew of an amphibious aircraft was performing a water scooping maneuver. As the aircraft approached the surface to collect water, the left float made contact with the water's surface. This impact resulted in the structural failure and detachment of the left float.
Following the loss of the float, the aircraft became uncontrollable. The plane entered a water loop sequence before ultimately sinking into the water. Emergency response efforts led to the rescue of two crew members, but the accident resulted in one fatality among the three people on board.
Findings
- The primary cause of the loss of control was the impact of the left float with the water surface during the scooping phase of the mission.