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Indian-origin student pilot killed in Canada mid-air collision
21-year-old Sreehari Sukesh, a resident of Kerala was training at Harv's Air, a local flight school.
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Malvika Choudhary - Thu, 10, Jul 2025
- 14:08 EDT
- 19
Sreehari Sukesh / X (@SreehariSukesh)
An Indian-origin student pilot was one of two trainee aviators who were killed in a mid-air collision involving two small aircraft near Steinbach, Manitoba, Canada, on July 8.
A 21-year-old resident of Kerala, Sreehari Sukesh, and a 20-year-old Canadian national, Savanna May Royes, were both enrolled in Harv's Air, a local flight school, where they were undergoing training. The crash occurred around 8:45 a.m. local time, approximately 400 metres from the Steinbach South Airport runway.
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“With profound sorrow, we mourn the tragic passing of Mr. Sreehari Sukesh, a young Indian student pilot, who lost his life in a mid-air collision near Steinbach, Manitoba,” the Consulate General of India in Toronto said in a post on X. “We extend our deepest condolences to his family. The Consulate is in contact with the bereaved family, the pilot training school and local police to provide all necessary assistance.”
According to Harv’s Air president Adam Penner, both pilots were practicing takeoffs and landings in Cessna aircraft—a two-seater 152 and a four-seater 172—when they appeared to attempt landing at the same time.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed that both pilots were pronounced dead at the scene. There were no passengers on board. RCMP officials have not officially released the victims' identities, citing an ongoing investigation.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing two loud bangs followed by plumes of black smoke. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has been notified and is conducting a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Harv’s Air, established in the early 1970s, trains about 400 students annually from Canada and abroad for both professional and recreational flying. Sukesh had recently obtained his private pilot’s licence and was completing hours toward a commercial pilot certification.
Sukesh’s family in Kerala has appealed for expedited repatriation of his remains, with assistance from the Indian consulate. The flight school has temporarily suspended training operations and is offering grief counselling to students and staff.
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