Two Student Pilots Die in Mid-Air Collision in Manitoba Training Flight

A tragic mid-air collision occurred near Steinbach South Airport in Manitoba, Canada, resulting in the deaths of two student pilots, 20-year-old Savanna May Royes and 23-year-old Sreehari Sukesh from Kerala, India. Both were flying solo in single-engine Cessna aircraft during routine training exercises at Harv's Air Pilot Training School when the planes collided just hundreds of yards from the runway. The flight school’s president confirmed the planes were equipped with radios, but the two pilots apparently attempted to land simultaneously, leading to the crash. Authorities, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, have launched an investigation into the rare and devastating accident. Family and friends mourned the loss of the young pilots, with Savanna described as "the essence of pure joy" and someone whose faith and laughter touched many during her short life. Witnesses near the scene reported hearing a loud bang and seeing a pillar of black smoke rising after the collision.