Two pilots killed in a small-plane crash near Kisbey, Saskatchewan, have been identified as Indian students who were undergoing flight training in Canada. The Consulate General of India in Vancouver identified the deceased as Manoj Sivakumar from Tamil Nadu and Srisaran Thirugnanasambantham from Puducherry. The consulate expressed condolences to their families and said it was prepared to provide assistance, including arrangements for repatriating their remains to India. The two men were aboard a Cessna 172 operated by Harv’s Air, a Manitoba-based flight school. The aircraft was conducting a night cross-country flight from Regina to Steinbach, Manitoba, with a planned route through Carlyle, Saskatchewan.
According to Harv’s Air president Adam Penner, both occupants held private pilot licences and had rented the aircraft to accumulate flying hours toward their commercial pilot licences. The aircraft did not reach its expected destination and was reported overdue to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada at about 10:30 a.m. Friday. A search-and-rescue operation was launched, with the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton coordinating the response. A CC-138 Hercules aircraft from 435 Squadron located the crash site at approximately 6 p.m. Search-and-rescue technicians were then parachuted into the area. Both occupants were found dead at the scene.
The crash site was in southeastern Saskatchewan near Kisbey, roughly 160 kilometres southeast of Regina. The Transportation Safety Board deployed investigators to examine the aircraft and the circumstances surrounding the accident. The TSB has confirmed that the aircraft experienced a post-impact fire. Investigators have not yet determined what caused the aircraft to crash. The TSB said investigators documented the scene, examined the wreckage and recovered components for further examination. A preliminary summary of the investigation is expected later this week.
Harv’s Air said the school community was shocked and saddened by the deaths. Penner said both pilots had close ties to fellow students and instructors and extended condolences to their families and friends. The incident has also renewed attention on flight-training safety after previous accidents involving students associated with Harv’s Air. However, investigators have not indicated that those earlier incidents are connected to the latest crash. The Indian consulate said it remains in contact with the families of Sivakumar and Thirugnanasambantham and will provide consular assistance as arrangements are made following the tragedy. The investigation by the Transportation Safety Board, with involvement from other authorities, remains ongoing. No cause of the crash has been established at this stage.