History of Flight
On 13 October 2024, at approximately 08:30 hours local time (03:30 UTC), a De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited DHC-6-300 floatplane, registration 8Q-TBB, operated by Trans Maldivian Airways, was conducting a charter service from Malé to Halaveli to Bathala and back to Malé. After successfully completing the Malé-Halaveli sector, the aircraft departed Halaveli for Bathala with 10 passengers and three crew members on board.
On approach to Bathala water aerodrome, the pilot flying deviated slightly from the normal approach due to the position of a Dhoani (a local boat) in the approach path. The aircraft touched down on water with a slightly higher than normal flare. At touchdown, the aircraft encountered a swell, causing it to bounce. The pilot flying immediately called for a go-around, which the pilot-in-command concurred with. Full power was applied, and flaps were set to 10°. Initially, the aircraft appeared to climb slightly, but then yawed left, failed to gain sufficient lift, and dropped onto the water, striking the left float and wing. The right engine generator caution light illuminated concurrently, followed by a flame-out of the right-hand engine. The pilot-in-command subsequently secured the engine. The aircraft came to a stop facing south-southwest. The crew then sailed the aircraft to the floating platform and secured it.
Injuries to Persons
There were no injuries to passengers or crew. Two children reported bumping their heads somewhere, but no injuries were observed. All 10 passengers were safely disembarked onto the floating platform and later transferred to the resort island by Dhoani.
Damage to Aircraft
The aircraft sustained substantial damage to both wings. The left-hand wing and right-hand wing exhibited near-symmetrical impact damage to ailerons, fore flaps, trailing edges, skins, ribs, and hinges. Additional localized damage was noted on trim tabs, wing tips, and on the right-hand side, the inboard trailing flaps. The right-hand float was also damaged. Specific structural damage included bending of aileron assemblies and outboard fore flaps, damage to trailing edge and shroud skins, and affected shroud ribs and top skins between various stations. Wing hinges at station 376.20 were damaged on both wings.
Personnel and Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a DHC-6-300 floatplane, registered in Tunisia to Tunisavia – Société Tunisienne De Transports Services Et Travaux Aériens, and operated by Trans Maldivian Airways under Air Operator Certificate No. 005. The flight crew consisted of a pilot-in-command, a co-pilot, and one cabin crew member. The pilot-in-command held a Commercial Pilot License – Aeroplane (CPL-A) and had valid ratings. The co-pilot also held appropriate licenses. The cabin crew member was trained for the aircraft type. The aircraft's maintenance records were reviewed, and no pre-existing defects were reported.
Meteorological Information
At the time of the incident, the crew reported winds of approximately 10–12 knots from 260–270°, light drizzle, and sea swells of about 1.5 feet near Bathala. Visibility remained generally good. Bathala is designated as a Category A water aerodrome by the operator.
Wreckage and Salvage
The aircraft came to rest on water after the event. The crew manually pumped water from the damaged right float for buoyancy until aircraft maintenance engineers arrived approximately two hours later. The aircraft was later secured to the floating platform and subsequently returned to Malé. Wreckage examination revealed no evidence of fire or pre-impact failure. Salvage operations were conducted without further incident.