Accident Overview
On July 5, 2020, about 1422 Pacific daylight time, a Cessna TU206G (N6373U) and a De Havilland DHC-2 MK1 (L20A) (N2106K) were destroyed when they collided over Lake Coeur d'Alene near Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The Cessna was operating as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight, while the De Havilland was conducting a Part 91 air tour flight. The Cessna pilot and one passenger, and the De Havilland pilot and five passengers, sustained fatal injuries.
Flight Histories
The Cessna had departed from Coeur d'Alene Airport with an intended destination of Lewiston-Nez Perce County Airport, Lewiston, Idaho. The float-equipped De Havilland originated from a seaplane base on the northern part of Lake Coeur d'Alene for a 20-minute local air tour.
Witness Observations
Witnesses near the accident site reported seeing the De Havilland flying on a northerly heading and the Cessna on a southerly heading. Both aircraft were estimated at 700 to 800 ft above the water surface when they collided. Two witnesses on the western side of the lake noted that the Cessna was at a lower altitude and had begun to climb before the impact. After the collision, a fireball was observed as both airplanes descended into the water. No radar or automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast data were available for either airplane.
Wreckage Examination
The wreckage of both aircraft was submerged in about 130 ft of water near the center of the lake between Half Round Bay and Black Rock Bay. The underwater debris path was approximately 900 ft long.
Examination of the recovered Cessna wreckage revealed mechanical impact damage and a puncture in the left wing forward spar between wing stations 72 and 76, with blue paint transfer. Linear scratch marks with blue paint transfer were observed on the lower skin, oriented about 30° from the longitudinal axis. The left-wing strut also exhibited blue paint transfer. The fuselage showed a distinct angular cut from left to right at about 30°, and the cabin roof had a cut oriented about 20° from the longitudinal axis. The vertical stabilizer had a mechanical cut consistent with a propeller strike. The engine, engine mount, propeller assembly, and right wing were not recovered.
Examination of the De Havilland wreckage showed the cabin area fractured into multiple pieces with evidence of a flash fire between fuselage stations 8 and 76. Two mechanical cuts were found in the lower right fuselage, with inward deformation, and the fuel tank was punctured. The cuts were parallel and offset 20° from the longitudinal axis. The floats and most float struts were not recovered. No preexisting mechanical malfunctions were found in either aircraft.
Medical Findings
Autopsies of both pilots were performed by the Spokane County Office of the Medical Examiner. The Cessna pilot's cause of death was blunt impact; the De Havilland pilot's cause of death was multiple blunt injuries. Toxicology testing detected no drugs of abuse in either pilot's specimens.