In a tragic incident that has sent shockwaves through the aviation training community, two student pilots—one of them of Indian origin—were killed in a midair collision involving two small aircraft in southern Manitoba, Canada. The crash occurred on Tuesday morning near the Steinbach South Airport, close to a runway used by Harv's Air pilot training school.

Indian Student Sreehari Sukesh Among the Victims

The victims have been identified as 21-year-old Sreehari Sukesh, a resident of Kerala, India, and 20-year-old Canadian national Savanna May Royes. The Consulate General of India in Toronto confirmed the death of Sukesh in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), expressing deep sorrow.

"With profound sorrow, we mourn the tragic passing of Mr. Sreehari Sukesh, a young Indian student pilot, who lost his life in a mid-air collision near Steinbach, Manitoba. We extend our deepest condolences to his family," the Consulate wrote.

The Consulate also assured that it is in contact with the pilot training school, local law enforcement, and Sukesh's family to provide all possible support.

Training Exercise Turns Fatal

According to local media and officials, both student pilots were flying Cessna single-engine aircraft and were practicing takeoffs and landings when the accident occurred. Adam Penner, president of Harv’s Air, which operates the training school, explained the scenario leading up to the crash.

“Both pilots appeared to have tried to land at the same time and collided a few hundred yards away from the small runway,” Penner stated.

Despite both planes being equipped with radios, it appears that neither pilot was aware of the other’s position at the time, leading to the fatal collision. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed that both individuals were pronounced dead at the scene. There were no passengers on board either aircraft.

Harv’s Air, the institution where the victims were enrolled, has been a part of Manitoba’s aviation landscape since the early 1970s. Founded by Adam Penner’s parents, the school trains around 400 student pilots annually from across the globe, preparing them for both professional and recreational flying careers.

Sreehari Sukesh had already obtained his private pilot license and was in the process of pursuing his commercial certification when the accident occurred, according to local reports.