What happened
On a visual flight rules flight from Midland/Hurontario Airport, Ontario, to Charleston, West Virginia, a Mooney M20E, registration C-GOEN, experienced a sudden loss of engine power shortly after takeoff. The pilot initially reported a power loss and an intention to divert to Collingwood airport, but quickly followed this with a distress call stating that the engine had lost all power and that he intended to ditch the aircraft in Georgian Bay. This was the final radio transmission received from the aircraft.
Following the distress call, two nearby pilots attempted to locate the aircraft but were unsuccessful. The aircraft was later located submerged in 58 feet of water near Wasaga Beach, Ontario. While the aircraft's cabin structure remained intact after the impact, the pilot could not be located by divers during the initial search. The pilot's body was recovered later that evening.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical state of the engine and the functionality of emergency equipment. Testing of the engine revealed that while the engine could start and run at idle, it would quit whenever the throttle was advanced. Investigators found that the fuel servo metering unit contained water globules and minor corrosion, which restricted the fuel flow to the injectors to a level only sufficient for idling.
Regarding emergency equipment, the investigation found that the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) was unserviceable. Although the pilot had manually switched the device to the 'ON' position—implying he had exited the aircraft and accessed it via the rear luggage door—the unit failed to transmit a signal due to internal corrosion. Additionally, while a life vest was present, it had been improperly donned and only partially inflated, with the waistband adjusted so tightly it would not fit a normal waistline.
Findings
- Water contamination and corrosion within the fuel servo metering unit caused a reduction in fuel pressure to the injectors, leading to the engine failure.
- The unserviceable ELT failed to transmit an emergency signal, which likely delayed the search and rescue efforts.
- The pilot's failure to correctly don and inflate the life vest, combined with his underlying medical condition, likely accelerated the onset of hypothermia in the cold water.