Manitoba Plane Crash Kills Two Student Pilots in Rare Mid-Air Collision Near Steinbach

A tragic mid-air collision between two small planes in southern Manitoba has claimed the lives of two student pilots, including 20-year-old Savanna May Royes, who dreamed of becoming a pilot like her father.

The fatal incident occurred around 8:45 a.m. on Tuesday, July 8, near Steinbach, in the Rural Municipality of Hanover, about 50 km southeast of Winnipeg. The crash involved aircraft from Harv’s Air, a local flight school that trains students from across Canada and abroad.

Victims Identified and Remembered

Family members confirmed that Savanna May Royes was one of the victims. In a statement, they described her as “the essence of pure joy.” Savanna’s passion for aviation stemmed from childhood, inspired by her father’s career as a pilot. The identity of the second victim has not yet been released.

Both victims were flying solo during a training exercise when the collision occurred near the school’s landing strip. There were no passengers aboard either aircraft.

What Happened

According to Harv’s Air president Adam Penner, the planes — a four-seater Cessna 172 and a two-seater Cessna 152 — were practicing takeoffs and landings when they collided mid-air. One student had only been training for a few months, while the other was close to earning a commercial license.

Nearby residents reported hearing two loud bangs and saw pillars of black smoke rise into the air shortly after.

“We don’t understand how they could get so close together,” said Penner. “We’ll have to wait for the investigation.”

Investigations Underway

The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has deployed a team to investigate the cause of the crash. The RCMP is handling the fatality investigation, while the TSB will focus on the aviation factors involved.

According to the TSB, mid-air collisions are extremely rare, accounting for less than 0.5% of all aviation crashes in Canada. This incident is only the second recorded mid-air collision in Manitoba’s history.

Flight School in Mourning

Harv’s Air, which has been operating since the 1970s, trains over 400 students annually for both professional and recreational flying.

“It’s been a shocking morning,” said instructor Mohamed Shahin, a former student at the school. “We feel heartbroken for the families of the students we lost.”

A previous safety incident involving the same school was investigated earlier this year, after an employee was injured by a propeller while assisting a struggling student at St. Andrews Airport.

How can flight training programs improve safety to prevent rare tragedies like the Manitoba plane crash?

More…

• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/planes-crash-steinbach-1.7579793
• https://www.cbsnews.com/news/student-pilots-killed-midair-collision-manitoba-canada
• https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2025/07/08/planes-collide-near-steinbach