Two planes crash mid-air near Winnipeg killing student pilots in rare training tragedy

Two student pilots were killed after their planes collided mid-air near the Steinbach South Airport, about 60 kilometers (40 miles) south of Winnipeg.

The crash occurred at approximately 8:45 am in the rural municipality of Hanover. Both pilots, a man and a woman, were flying single-engine aircraft when their planes collided during a training exercise, according to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Neither had passengers on board.

RCMP said both individuals were pronounced dead at the scene. Their identities have not been released, and authorities are working to notify their families. The aircraft involved were a Cessna 152 and a Cessna 172, both operated by Harv’s Air, a Manitoba-based flight training school with locations in Steinbach and St. Andrews.


Adam Penner, president of Harv’s Air, confirmed the victims were students at the school. The woman was training for her private pilot license, and the man already held one and was preparing for commercial certification. Both were flying solo at the time as part of routine takeoff and landing practice.

“I’m devastated,” Penner said. “But I’m not sure I can say anything more than that until their families have been notified.”

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) has deployed a team of investigators to determine the cause of the crash. The agency, which investigates air and other transportation incidents in Canada, will analyze flight data and communication logs as part of the probe.

“This is still evolving,” RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Melanie Roussel said at a press conference. “It’s a two-plane collision, which is not something that happens every day.”

Witnesses near the site reported hearing a loud bang followed by a plume of black smoke. Flight operations at Harv’s Air have been temporarily suspended, and counsellors have been brought in for staff and students.

The investigation will focus on communications, flight paths, and whether protocols were properly followed. Transport Minister Chrystia Freeland offered condolences via social media and said a minister’s observer will monitor the investigation.