From various posts :
Point 1 - Quite so. My prediction, given the conditions below, a diver has groped along the right wing, bumped into a bit of pylon and surfaced with the news "The engine is still there". And remember the violent swing to the left after landing - with the right engine still attached - hardly likely
Point 2 - OK, I ll put my hand up.
When i heard the right engine was the one still on the plane, i thought it was nonsense given that the plane veered to the left.
I ll eat humble pie and i stand corrected
I guess i do not yet qualify as an NTSB investigator
Point 3 -On seeing the photos showing this left turn on the water, it did mometarily cross my mind if it might just be possible that the right engine was not only still attached but producing some sort of power until it was literally drowned out and so forcing the turn.
Point 4 - Is it possible that the starboard engine was still producing some (more than the port engine at least) amount of power on ditching? This would allow the water, on impact, a slightly less restrained passage through the powerplant and hence it could have experienced insufficient force to shear it off. Could this possibly also explain the aircrafts yaw to port once waterborne
Point 5 - It is possible that #1, having taken in more gooseflesh than #2, was more compromised (due to out of balance rotating mass and damaged mounts), and simply departed first. Left loop? easy. without the nacelle for support, the wing may have dragged the water, creating more left turning impetus than the starboard side had, being "supported" by the "intact" nacelle and pylon assmbly. Who's to say?
Nice to know the points of view change as more info comes to light....shows we can adapt as a species....
I reckon the aircraft should have yawed right due to the drag but did not. Maybe it is because most pilots
subconsciously drop their wing on landing / hold-off / flair......i.e P1 left down and P2 right down.....or maybe the engine only departed from the airframe once drifting or when one of the rescue boats arrived....earlier pics did show her "balanced" post crash.
Maybe the taildragger guys could remind us of the reasoning behind a ground loop....or is that a moot point because there are no props ?
