The investigation into a plane crash that killed a Ramara man has entered the examination and analysis phase, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada has reported.
On Aug. 4, a float plane crashed into Upper Raft Lake in Lake of Bays Township. The pilot, Jeff Mavor, 44, died as a result. His wife, Kathy, and five of their children who were on board received minor injuries.
The Transportation Safety Board has posted the following information to its website:
“On 4 August 2019, a privately registered Cessna 185 E aircraft, equipped with amphibious floats, departed the runway at Orillia Ramara Regional Airport, Ontario, destined to Upper Raft Lake, located approximately 48 nm to the north of the Orillia/Lake St. John Water Aerodrome, with 7 people on board.
“During the landing, when the aircraft touched down on the surface of the water, it flipped over and came to rest in an inverted position. The aircraft sustained substantial damage; it was submerged in the water but held afloat by the aircraft floats. The landing gear, which is normally up for a water landing, was observed to be in the down position.
“The 6 passengers egressed the aircraft and sustained minor injuries, while the pilot was fatally injured. The aircraft was equipped with an emergency locater transmitter (ELT); however, no signal was received at the time of the occurrence by alerting services. The TSB is investigating.”
During the examination and analysis phase, according to its website, “the TSB reviews pertinent records, tests components of the wreckage in the lab, determines the sequence of events and identifies safety deficiencies. When safety deficiencies are suspected or confirmed, the TSB advises the appropriate authority without waiting until publication of the final report.”
During an investigation’s report phase, “a confidential draft report is approved by the Board and sent to persons and corporations who are directly concerned by the report. They then have the opportunity to dispute or correct information they believe to be incorrect. The Board considers all representations before approving the final report, which is subsequently released to the public.”
