What happened
On 10 August 2021, a Cessna 172N, registered as C-GKWL, was conducting a daytime visual flight rules training flight at Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport, Ontario. The aircraft, operated by Canadian Flyers International Inc., was carrying a student pilot and a flight instructor. As the aircraft was on final approach to Runway 15, the crew experienced a solid impact at the front of the plane.
Initially believing they had encountered a bird strike, the crew continued their approach and landed the aircraft without further incident. After taxiing to the ramp, the crew inspected the aircraft and discovered damage to the front left cowl area beneath the propeller, though no biological remains were found.
Simultaneously, a remote pilot operating a DJI Matrice M210 (registration C-2105569275) reported a collision. The drone had been maintaining a stationary hover at 400 feet above ground level when it struck the Cessna. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the drone. There were no injuries to the occupants of the Cessna or to anyone on the ground.
The investigation
The TSB examined the circumstances surrounding the collision between the manned aircraft and the remotely piloted aircraft. The investigation focused on the flight paths of both the Cessna 172N and the DJI Matrice M210, as well as the visibility and scanning procedures in use at the time of the event.