What happened
On a morning in May 2002, a Cessna 180F seaplane departed from Des Passes Lake, Quebec, bound for St. Augustin Lake. The aircraft was operated under visual flight rules with one pilot and two passengers on board. Shortly after the takeoff from the lake, the aircraft experienced a sudden, abrupt nose-down pitch. During the initial climb, the left float and wing struck the water, causing the aircraft to overturn.
Following the impact, the two passengers managed to exit the submerged aircraft and clung to the floats. While one passenger successfully reached the shore, the other became exhausted while attempting to swim, eventually climbing onto a float where they drowned as the aircraft sank. The pilot remained inside the aircraft, buckled into his seat, and subsequently drowned. The passenger who reached land was discovered two days later.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft, N18051212, and found it was properly maintained, equipped, and within weight and balance limits. There was no evidence of mechanical failure or engine power loss prior to the impact. The investigation also focused on the pilot's medical history and the safety equipment on board.
Medical records revealed that the pilot had a history of coronary arteriosclerosis and had undergone an angioplasty in 1994. However, these specific conditions were not disclosed to the civil aviation medical examiner, who had only been informed of the pilot's hypertension. The examiner had recently renewed the pilot's medical certificate based on an electrocardiogram from the previous year.
Findings
- The pilot's significant coronary arteriosclerosis could have led to sudden cardiac incapacitation, which would explain the lack of control input during the nose-down pitch.
- The pilot's death was officially attributed to drowning, though his underlying heart condition was a critical factor.
- Neither passenger was wearing an aviation-approved life jacket at the time of takeoff, which may have contributed to the death of the second passenger.