Unexpected extreme windy weather apparently caused a De Havilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter aircraft operated by Maldivian to crash into the Hulhumalé Lagoon on final approach to Malé-Velana International Airport at approximately 4:16 in the afternoon on Wednesday, October 4, 2017 — and FlyerTalk member wchinchen was one of the 15 passengers aboard the airplane on its ill-fated flight from Dhaalu Atoll.
FlyerTalk Member Survives Airplane Crash in Maldives
“Well……I was one of the passengers on board from Niyama back to MLE on a Maldivian Seaplane. I’m not an aviation expert, but we had windy conditions and I believe we landed maybe too steep and fast, bounced, landed on the left side pontoon the second time; overcorrected, and the right wing hit the water. Once that happened, the plan spun the right and flip 180 degrees.”
All of the luggage owned by wchinchen — including all electronics — was submerged. As a result, no video trip report — other than this written one which was posted on FlyerTalk — pertaining to what was otherwise a “perfect” trip to Niyama will be forthcoming.
“Emergency response was fast. But the plane submerged in about 10-15 minutes. Luckily we ended up near the shore”, according to wchinchen. “I would recommend all flying the Maldivian Seaplane to ask how to operate the emergency exit door. Stay awake during take off and landing. And buckle your seat belts. I believe the seat belts saved alot of serious neck injuries for all passengers.”
Because all occupants of the aircraft were able to evacuate, no fatalities or injuries were reported as a result of the incident — other than one of the three members of the flight crew who sustained minor injuries and was taken to Hulhumalé Hospital.
Other occupants of the aircraft were also taken to the hospital for observation to ensure that they were all right, according to this report from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Maldives; and upon completion of the examination, they were released.
As seen in the photograph shown in the “tweet” below…
ALERT Maldivian seaplane crash landed during landing with tourists onboard https://t.co/IwtO3gJFvC
— AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) October 4, 2017
…most of the aircraft was submerged off shore in the Hulhumalé Lagoon — with the exception of the pontoons themselves.
This incident — which has officially been designated as an accident — is currently being investigated by the Accident Investigation Committee and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Maldives.
Summary
I am thankful that wchinchen and the other occupants of the aircraft survived the accident with their lives — and that is what is most important. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for the belongings — but they could easily be replaced.
“I’ll give you an update soon, but both Niyama and Maldivian airlines were prompt in their response and help”, promised wchinchen.
Source: Maldivian.
