What happened
On 16 August 2018, a float-equipped Cessna U206G, registered as C-FNEQ, was performing a scheduled sightseeing excursion departing from Fort Simpson Island Water Aerodrome in the Northwest Territories. The flight itinerary included planned stops at Virginia Falls and Little Doctor Lake. On board the aircraft operated by Simpson Air (1981) Limited were the pilot and four passengers.
During the approach to Little Doctor Lake at approximately 1830 Mountain Daylight Time, the aircraft was in the process of a water landing when the pilot lost control. The aircraft nosed into the water and flipped over, coming to rest in an inverted position and becoming partially submerged. While the pilot and one passenger managed to exit the submerged fuselage and reach the aircraft's floats, they were unable to leave the immediate area until a nearby boater rescued them roughly 15 minutes later. Tragically, the remaining three occupants were trapped within the inverted fuselage and drowned.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the loss of control during the landing phase. Investigators examined the state of the aircraft upon impact and the functionality of the onboard emergency equipment. Although the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter (ELT) activated upon impact, the signal failed to reach the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre because the device became submerged under the water along with the fuselage.