Steinbach, Manitoba: A 21-year-old student pilot from Kerala has been identified as one of the two victims killed in a tragic midair collision involving two training aircraft near Steinbach South Airport in southern Manitoba, Canada.

The incident happened around 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday in the rural municipality of Hanover, approximately 60 kilometres south of Winnipeg. According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), two single-engine planes, a Cessna 152 and a Cessna 172, collided while approaching a landing strip during routine training exercises. Neither aircraft had passengers on board.

The victims were identified as Sreehari Sukesh, a young pilot from Kerala, India, and 20-year-old Canadian citizen Savanna May Royes. Both were student pilots training at Harv’s Air, a flight school operating out of Steinbach and St Andrews. The bodies were recovered from the wreckage at the scene. Authorities confirmed both were flying solo at the time of the crash.

Sreehari was pursuing his commercial pilot certification, having already obtained his private pilot licence. Savanna, according to a statement from her family, was working toward her private licence and had always aspired to follow her father's path as a pilot.

The Consulate General of India in Toronto confirmed Sreehari’s identity in a social media post on Wednesday. “Profound sorrow,” the post read, noting that officials are coordinating with his family, the flying school, and local authorities to provide necessary assistance.

RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Melanie Roussel addressed reporters on Tuesday, calling the crash “a two-plane collision, which is not something that happens every day.” Witnesses near the scene reported a loud bang and a cloud of black smoke rising from the area following the crash.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), the national agency responsible for investigating aviation incidents, has launched an inquiry. Investigators are examining flight data, communications, and adherence to safety protocols as part of the ongoing probe.

All flight operations at Harv’s Air have been temporarily suspended, and grief counsellors have been made available to staff and students.