Civil Aviation Authority has launched a probe after a seaplane of national carrier, Maldivian, lost a pontoon during take-off from Dhoores Retreat Resort early Thursday.
According to Abdul Haris, the managing director of Maldivian’s operator Island Aviation Services (IAS), the pontoon fell off after it caught on an unspecified object while the seaplane was speeding up for take-off at around 9:30 a.m.. The accident had caused the seaplane to slightly keel over on one side, its cockpit submerging into the sea.
However none of the 15 people onboard were injured, assured Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF)’s information officer, Ibrahim Azim.
MNDF soldiers had rushed to the scene to haul the seaplane out of the water.
In a statement released Thursday afternoon, Civil Aviation announced that its team is currently on the scene, investigating the cause of the incident.
A seaplane of Maldivian had also crash landed in the lagoon of the Maldives’ main airport island, Hulhule, early in October due to strong turbulence.
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