What happened
On a day visual flight rules instructional flight, a Cessna 172P (registration C-GJSE) operated by McMurray Aviation was flying in the practice area located northeast of the Fort McMurray (CYMM) Airport. Simultaneously, a privately operated Cessna A185E (registration C-FAXO), which was equipped with amphibious floats, was arriving at CYMM from Lloyd Lake, Saskatchewan.
At 1917 Mountain Daylight Time, approximately 21 nautical miles northeast of the Fort McMurray airport, the two aircraft collided at an altitude of 2800 feet above sea level. The impact caused the Cessna 172P to break up in flight, resulting in two fatalities (the student and the instructor). The collision also caused significant damage to the Cessna A185E, separating its left float and displacing the right float, though the pilot of the floatplane was able to land safely at CYMM without injury.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances surrounding the mid-air impact between the two aircraft operating in the same airspace. Investigators examined the flight paths of both the instructional flight and the inbound floatplane to determine how the collision occurred at 1300 feet above ground level.