Occurrence
On June 14, 2020, at approximately 1447 Eastern Daylight Time, a privately registered Cessna 172M and a privately registered Champion 7GCB collided in mid-air over the Ottawa River near Buckham's Bay, Ontario, about 12 nautical miles east-northeast of Arnprior Airport (CNP3).
The Cessna had departed Arnprior Airport with the pilot and three passengers on board for a daytime local area flight under visual flight rules (VFR). The Champion, equipped with floats, had departed Golden Lake, Ontario, with only the pilot on board for a daytime VFR flight to Constance Lake, Ontario.
Both aircraft were flying along the Ontario side of the Ottawa River at approximately 1500 feet above sea level when the collision occurred.
Aircraft Damage and Pilot Injuries
The Champion sustained damage to the tail. It entered a descending left-hand spiral, hit the water, and overturned. The pilot egressed from the aircraft and was rescued by nearby boaters. The pilot received minor injuries. The emergency locator transmitter activated. There was no fire.
The Cessna sustained damage to the propeller, nose wheel fairing, and engine cowl. The pilot of the Cessna flew a few orbits of the accident site until the other pilot had been rescued, and then flew back to Arnprior Airport without further incident.
Investigation
This occurrence was investigated as a Class 4 investigation by the transportation safety authority. Class 4 investigations are limited in scope, and while the final reports may contain limited analysis, they do not contain findings or recommendations.