What happened
On 14 June 2020, a mid-air collision occurred over the Ottawa River near Buckham’s Bay, Ontario. The incident involved two separate flights operating under visual flight rules (VFR) during the day.
A privately registered Cessna 172M, carrying a pilot and three passengers, had departed from Arnprior Airport (CNP3). Simultaneously, a privately registered Champion 7GCB equipped with floats departed from Golden Lake, Ontario, heading toward Constance Lake with a single pilot on board.
At approximately 1447 EDT, while both aircraft were flying at an altitude of roughly 1500 feet above sea level along the Ontario side of the river, the two planes collided. Following the impact, the Champion 7GCB suffered damage to its tail section, causing it to enter a descending left-hand spiral. The aircraft subsequently struck the water and overturned. The pilot of the floatplane managed to exit the wreckage and was rescued by individuals in nearby boats, sustaining minor injuries. The aircraft's emergency locator transmitter was activated during the event, and no fire was reported.
The Cessna 172M sustained damage to its engine cowl, nose wheel fairing, and propeller. After the collision, the pilot of the Cessna remained over the accident site for several orbits to monitor the rescue of the other pilot before returning to Arnprior Airport without further difficulty.
The investigation
The TSB conducted a Class 4 investigation into the collision, focusing on the sequence of events and the immediate aftermath of the impact between the two aircraft.