What happened
On the evening of 09 November 2015, a Cessna 182H, registered as C-GKNZ, departed from the Parry Sound Area Municipal Airport in Ontario. The aircraft was operating under night visual flight rules for a scheduled flight to Tillsonburg Airport, carrying one pilot and one passenger.
Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft entered a right-hand climbing turn that reached approximately 90 degrees of heading. Following this initial turn, the aircraft continued to bank right for an additional 180 degrees while simultaneously losing altitude. During this descent, the aircraft struck trees in a nose-down attitude with a steep right bank before impacting a rocky, downward-sloping area of terrain. The impact resulted in a post-crash fire that consumed much of the wreckage. Both occupants sustained fatal injuries.
The investigation
Investigators examined the flight path and the condition of the aircraft following the impact. Although the aircraft was equipped with an emergency locator transmitter, the device failed to activate upon impact. The investigation focused on the flight's trajectory during the night hours and the sequence of maneuvers leading to the terrain collision.