TSB report reveals water conditions, rescue efforts in fatal B.C. floatplane crash

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada released a report on a fatal floatplane crash northeast of Vancouver Island in 2024, detailing the Oct. 2 incident near a logging camp in Warner Bay, B.C. A float-equipped Cessna A185F, carrying a pilot and two passengers, landed when a float dug in, the aircraft veered right, the left wing contacted the water, and it overturned, quickly filling with water and sinking upside down except for the floats’ keels. A passenger in the rear exited but re-entered trying to assist others as rescuers arrived. The front passenger’s leg became trapped and drowned despite divers’ efforts to free them.

The TSB emphasizes its role is to investigate to improve safety, not assign fault. It highlights glassy-water landings as a key hazard and notes the need for pilots to consider egress training for float planes as rescue attempts continued, with witnesses reporting rapid sinking and divers recovering a belt-wrapped body. The board’s findings urge pilots to review risk factors associated with water landings and to strengthen training accordingly.