The Occurrence
On 26 July 2025, a privately registered Quad City Challenger II advanced ultralight aircraft, equipped with amphibious floats, departed from Winnipeg/Lyncrest Aerodrome, Manitoba, for a local flight under visual flight rules. During the flight, the aircraft was observed pitching nose down before colliding with terrain approximately 5 nautical miles east-northeast of the aerodrome. There was no post-impact fire.
Emergency services, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, municipal volunteer fire department, and emergency medical services, attended the scene. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) is investigating the occurrence.
Investigation Progress
As of September 2025, the investigation has revealed that the occurrence aircraft was on its fourth flight following construction by the owner. It had been fitted with amphibious floats, allowing for operations on both land and water. To document its flights, the aircraft could be equipped with up to four mounted cameras. Portions of three cameras were recovered by the TSB.
After the incident, three memory cards were recovered for examination. Data from a wing-mounted camera was accessible and contained a video capturing the occurrence. The two remaining memory cards were damaged and sent to the TSB Engineering Laboratory for further analysis in an effort to retrieve additional data.