What happened
On 4 August 2019, a privately registered Cessna 185 E equipped with amphibious floats departed from Orillia Ramara Regional Airport in Ontario. The aircraft was carrying seven people on a flight destined for Upper Raft Lake, situated roughly 48 nm north of the Orillia/Lake St. John Water Aerodrome.
Upon reaching the destination, the aircraft attempted a landing on the water's surface. During the touchdown, the aircraft flipped over and settled in an inverted position. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. While the aircraft was submerged, the floats prevented it from sinking completely.
During the accident, the pilot sustained fatal injuries, while the six passengers managed to exit the aircraft and suffered minor injuries.
The investigation
Investigators examined the state of the aircraft following the accident and noted that the landing gear was in the down position, despite the fact that the gear is typically retracted for water landings. Additionally, although the aircraft was equipped with an emergency locator transmitter (ELT), no signal was detected by alerting services during the event.