flat attitude
Flat attitude
A lot of time with semantics was spent on the exact attitude
"en ligne d`vol ",flat horizontal,with very little forward speed...
With regard to the VS possibly being ripped off to tumble forward.
How stormy was it at sea level? How big the swells?
I envisage a tail down approach (not into wind, cross swell), at high attitude and hitting the back face of a swell smack on, sufficiently to break the belly in.
(Think 737 on the Motorway embankment at Derby)
With for good measure the tail cone clipping a previous swell and breaking UP
Thus striking and crushing the rudder base and catapulting it forward free of its compromised hull structure
This explains the ability of the hull to hit the water surface forcefully wth mainly 90 degree impact while still having a much more credible forward airspeed.
Of course it would stop in the water very quickly with the following swell "pooping" and washing out the now opened hull, and smashing into the back of the vulnerable spoiler(s)