Two student pilots died after their Cessna planes collided mid-air Tuesday morning near Harv’s Air Pilot training school in Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada. The crash occurred around 8:45 a.m. during landing practice.
“It appeared both were trying to land at the same time,” said school president Adam Penner, noting the collision happened just a few hundred yards from the runway. Despite having radios, “it seems the two pilots were unaware of each other’s approach.”
One of the victims was Savanna May Royes, 20, described by her family as “the essence of pure joy.” The second pilot has not been officially identified. One had been training for only a few months; the other was nearly licensed for commercial use.
Local residents Nathaniel and Lucille Plett reported hearing a “crackling, banging sound,” followed by a crash and a “pillar of black smoke.” Lucille said, “We knew this isn’t a stunt, this is something serious.”
Harv’s Air, founded in the 1970s, trains pilots from around the world and said this type of accident is extremely rare. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating the incident. “We’ll have to wait for the investigation,” Penner added.
