Indian student pilot among two killed in Canada mid‑air collision during training exercise

A tragic mid-air collision between two training aircraft near Steinbach South Airport, Manitoba, has claimed the lives of two student pilots, including 21-year-old Sreehari Sukesh from Kerala, India, and his 20-year-old Canadian classmate, Savanna May Royes .

Both students were enrolled at Harv’s Air flight school, where they were practicing standard takeoffs and landings in single-engine Cessna aircraft.

According to Harv’s Air president Adam Penner, the two planes collided just a few hundred yards from the runway, despite being equipped with radios; it appears neither pilot saw the other approaching.

Tragically, both pilots were pronounced dead on the scene, with no passengers aboard.

India’s Consulate General in Toronto confirmed Sreehari’s identity and expressed profound condolences, stating they are in close contact with his family, the flight school, and local police to provide support.

A tweet from the Consulate read: “With profound sorrow, we mourn the tragic passing of Mr Sreehari Sukesh, a young Indian student pilot… we extend our deepest condolences to his family.”

Sreehari, a resident of Tripunithura, Kochi, had earned his private pilot’s license and was completing his final hours towards a commercial pilot certification when the accident occurred.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) recovered both bodies from the wreckage, located approximately 400 metres from the runway, and confirmed there were no survivors.

Meanwhile, Canada’s Transportation Safety Board has launched a formal investigation into the cause of the collision.

Sreehari’s family, represented by local media in Kerala, noted that he went to Canada shortly after completing Class 12 and was completing his commercial training, just a few hours shy of the required 180 flight hours.

They have appealed to both the Centre and Kerala state government to expedite repatriation of his body.

Harv’s Air trains approximately 400 pilots annually at its Manitoba campus, attracting aspirants globally.

The crash has highlighted the inherent risks of flight training and prompted calls for a review of standard operating procedures around simultaneous runway operations.