Originally posted by ventus45 ...
... there was no "post separation impact" with any other part of the aircraft, nothing other that water, and even that must have been "benign".
Put it another way, "Why would there have not been any surface damage to the V/S if it had fluttered down from altitude?"
No, the benign landing in the water was IMHO a consequence of the fortuitous way that it parted company with the empennage at impact. A combination of a high CG and the noted fact that the tail was rotating to port at impact, allowed the V/S to depart and fall into clear water about 30 degrees to the left of the heading at impact. Its residual momentum probably allowed it then to drift clear of any other surface debris.