What happened
On 11 July 2011, at approximately 08:20 local time, an 8Q-TMD Dornier Seastar departed from the water runway at Male’ International Airport, heading north. The purpose of the flight was a scheduled training session intended for the lagoon at Maadhigar Falhu, located roughly 15 nautical miles southwest of the airport. Weather conditions at the time of departure were characterized by clear skies, good visibility, and winds between 8 and 10 knots originating from the west and southwest.
During the course of the training session, the crew performed five separate take-offs and landings to simulate various flight environments. While the initial maneuvers were conducted within the safety of the lagoon, the crew elected to perform the final landing on open water outside the lagoon area. This specific maneuver was designed to simulate a single-engine approach into a tailwind.
While the initial contact with the water was reported as smooth, the aircraft subsequently struck a wave. This impact caused the aircraft to bounce approximately 20 feet into the air. Due to the low power setting during this phase of flight, the aircraft descended back into the water, causing the breakage of multiple float attachments. The impact resulted in the failure of both the main and front spreader bars, causing the floats to rise in a twisted manner and strike the lower engine cowlings. Physical inspections revealed propeller cuts on the upper front sections of both floats.
Findings
- The aircraft struck a wave during a simulated single-engine landing procedure.
- The impact with a wave caused the aircraft to bounce and subsequently break the spreader bars and float attachments.