Trans Maldivian DHC6 at Male on May 27th 2017, tipped over on water landing

Last Update: September 27, 2018 / 13:25:40 GMT/Zulu time

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Incident Facts

Date of incident
May 27, 2017

Classification
Accident

Destination
Male, Maldives

Aircraft Registration
8Q-TMV

ICAO Type Designator
DHC6

A Trans Maldivian de Havilland DHC-6-300 on floats, registration 8Q-TMV performing a flight from Rangali Island to Male (Maldives) with 9 passengers and 3 crew, landed on Male's sea plane port at 08:33L (03:33Z) but tipped over to the left and came to a stop partly submerged with the nose and left wing tip below the water surface. The 12 occupants were taken to a hospital as a precaution and discharged without injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.

Maldives AICC have opened a investigation into the occurrence. The AICC reported the aircraft tipped over on landing. The passengers sustained no injuries.

The airport authority reported the aircraft partly sunk as result of damage received on landing. The aircraft was recovered.

In a preliminary report dated Sep 27th 2017 Maldive's CAA/AICC summarized the sequence of events:

There were nine passengers, two pilots and one cabin crew on board the aircraft. The accident occurred during landing on the water aerodrome at Velana International Airport.

The aircraft, while landing on the North Right Water Runway, touched down on the left float and repeatedly bounced. After the second bounce, while the aircraft was still airborne, it banked to the right dipping the right wing tip in the water. The aircraft then abruptly veered to the right and crashed.

The passengers and crew were able to evacuate before the aircraft submerged completely. No passenger or crew sustained any injuries and they were rescued and safely taken to Hulhumale’ Hospital.

On Sep 27th 2018 the Maldive's AICC released their final report concluding the probable causes of the accident were:

The investigation identified the following causes;

a. Improper recovery techniques from a bounced landing; application of go-around procedures whilst the aircraft was at low speed with flaps fully extended.

b. Breakdown of crew coordination during the attempted go-around.

The AICC described the landing:

According to the flight crew, no abnormalities were observed throughout the flight. From the take-off at Rangali to approach for landing at Velana International Airport, and until the first touch down the flight was uneventful. The approach to land was normal.

While landing left float touched the water first, then the aircraft bounced and ballooned; then landed on the left float for a second time, and bounced again.Then the aircraft was banking excessively to the right digging the right wing tip in the water, making the aircraft veer to the right. Then the aircraft crashed on water banking to the left with left float digging into water.

There were no injuries, the aircraft sustained substantial damage however.

The AICC analysed: "Examinations and tests carried out on the wreckage revealed no evidence of any technical defects which could have contributed to the accident."

The AICC analysed the landing:

According to the PIC; immediately the aircraft bounced after the first impact with the water. PIC told the co-pilot he was taking control and called for a go-around, requesting ten degrees flap, and added full power. PIC tried to lower the nose and get the wings level with the objective to regain airspeed and directional control to fly the aircraft out of the situation. PIC was unaware that the aircraft right wing tip dipped in the water as the aircraft veered to the right after the unexpected bounce.

According to the co-pilot; when the aircraft impacted water, the PIC called for change of control and the control was handed over. The co-pilot neither heard the PIC’s call for 10 degrees flap, nor took any actions to change the flap settings. During the investigation, it was confirmed that the flaps were at full down position. Proper procedures for the go around were not followed which is indicative of CRM breakdown.

...

After the initial bounce, the aircraft would have been in a slow flight condition. The aircraft yawed to the right, nose pitched up and the right wing tip dipped in the water. Combined controls were used to counter the nose up attitude and initiate a go-around.

Studies of similar accidents involving same type of aircraft elsewhere in the world have shown that if a go-around was initiated when the aircraft is in a high pitch attitude and adding full power results in the aircraft lifting off the water in a very nose-high, right-winglow attitude. With full flaps selected and both wings in a stalled or semi stalled condition, the aircraft would not accelerate or climb. This results in the wings stalling and a loss of control.

The investigation revealed that similar conditions lead to the accident occurred on this aircraft. The aircraft was in a pitch up condition when the PIC took over the controls and added full power initiating go around while the flaps were still in full down position.

This resulted in the aircraft going into a stall condition with a pitch up and right wing low attitude causing the right wing dig into water. The PIC’s action to counter the situation resulted the aircraft rolling to the left with the left float digging into the water and crashing.

The Aircraft Flight manual (AFM) states, “WARNING - With Flaps fully extended at 37.5, any pitch attitude in the go-around manoeuvre greater than 0 degrees (level flight attitude) may cause a rapid decrease in airspeed and possible stall".

Metars:
SA 27/05/2017 05:00-> METAR VRMM 270500Z 25013KT 9999 FEW018 BKN270 30/25 Q1011 NOSIG=
SA 27/05/2017 04:00-> METAR VRMM 270400Z 25012KT 9999 FEW018 BKN270 30/26 Q1010 NOSIG=
SA 27/05/2017 03:00-> METAR VRMM 270300Z 25011KT 9999 FEW018 FEW019CB BKN270 30/26 Q1010 CB S NOSIG=
SA 27/05/2017 02:00-> METAR VRMM 270200Z 25014KT 9999 FEW017TCU SCT260 29/25 Q1009 TEMPO 4000 SHRA=
SA 27/05/2017 01:00-> METAR VRMM 270100Z 25014KT 9999 FEW017 FEW018CB BKN110 28/25 Q1009 CB E TEMPO 4000 SHRA=
Incident Facts

Date of incident
May 27, 2017

Classification
Accident

Destination
Male, Maldives

Aircraft Registration
8Q-TMV

ICAO Type Designator
DHC6

This article is published under license from Avherald.com. © of text by Avherald.com.
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