My guess is that the left
wing was just a bit lower when it touched down (or immediately after), causing
the left engine to bite the water first (before the right one anyway) and take
the harder hit. That probably would have started the plane turning to the left
and it might have slowed enough at that point that the added drag of the engine
on the right was not a factor (especially of the left engine didn't fall off
completely on the initial impact).
The engines probably presented the most
serious drag. The plane probably would have skipped like a stone if not for
them. That said it is amazing how quickly a seaplane slows down once it hits the
water even though it is designed to be sleek (try towing a canoe behind a
motorboat as an example).
The starboard engine survived in place (although partly shredded) - it was
the port engine which was sheared off. That being the case, I am a
little confused as to why the plane should have, upon slowing in the water,
taken a hard left - I would have thought the starboard engine, in place, would
have swung the jet around the other way, to starboard.
C
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