Ric,
Great presentation! Toward the end of your presentation, in response to a question, you were discussing when the landing gear may have separated from the airframe. You thought it was not during the landing itself, but later when the waves were washing the airplane off the reef flat.
It's just a pilot's speculative thinking, but if I had been down on the reef at low tide with an intact airplane I would have taxied the airplane under its own power as far up the reef and even as far up the beach as possible, to minimize the exposure to waves. I wouldn't have left the airplane "part in and part out" of the water if the ability to re-position it existed. Wouldn't you? Wouldn't any pilot?
If the left main gear assembly had failed during the landing itself that would have resulted in the left wingtip digging in, skewing the airplane around to its left, and throwing the occupants forward and right. Without shoulder harnesses, short Amelia would have been thrown toward the middle of the flight deck and probably not struck much, while taller Fred would have been thrown into the cabin structure to his right, likely resulting in serious injury. An early gear failure would also be an explanation of why she didn't later re-position the airplane: the right engine (with generator) would have been able to run at low tide, but the airplane would not have been movable.
Just my thoughts...
Diane