IDENTIFICATION & SITE INFORMATION

  • Aircraft Type: Cessna 172M
  • Registration: C-GCKJ
  • Incident Type: Engine Failure and Emergency Water Landing
  • Location: Approximately 300 meters off the shore of Lake Ontario
  • Coordinates: Not specified
  • Depth: Shallow water
  • Condition: Ditching; aircraft submerged in shallow water
  • Accessibility: Salvaged or potentially accessible for further investigation

EVENT DESCRIPTION
On an unspecified date, a Cessna 172M aircraft, registered as C-GCKJ, encountered a critical situation shortly after takeoff when the engine lost power. The available power was insufficient to maintain level flight, leaving the pilot with limited options. Faced with the imminent loss of altitude, the pilot made the decisive choice to execute an emergency water landing (ditching) as close to the shore of Lake Ontario as possible.
The aircraft was ditched approximately 300 meters from shore, where it eventually sank in the shallow waters. Despite the abrupt and unplanned landing, both the pilot and passenger were able to evacuate the aircraft safely before it submerged. Their quick actions in such a high-stress situation were crucial to their survival.
Within about five minutes of the ditching, both occupants were rescued by a nearby pleasure boat. Remarkably, both the pilot and passenger emerged from the incident uninjured, a testament to their preparedness and the effective execution of the emergency procedures.
FINAL DISPOSITION
The aircraft sank in shallow water following the ditching. Rescue efforts were swift, with a pleasure boat reaching the site within minutes to retrieve the uninjured pilot and passenger. The specifics regarding the salvage of the aircraft or its current status are not detailed in the sources.
CURRENT CONDITION & ACCESSIBILITY
The aircraft C-GCKJ is presumed to have been submerged in shallow water at the site of the ditching. The exact details of whether the aircraft was subsequently salvaged or remains underwater are not provided. The site may be accessible depending on the location and water depth, though it is likely that recovery operations would have been initiated given the shallow conditions.
RESOURCES & LINKS

Keywords:
C-GCKJ, Cessna 172M, engine failure, emergency water landing, Lake Ontario aircraft incident, aviation safety, CADORS 2002O0813, shallow water ditching, aviation rescue, emergency procedures.