Canada plane crash horror as pilots practicing take-offs die in mid-air collision

Two student pilots were killed after their planes collided in central Canada, officials have said. The tragic incident occured at around 8.45am local time on Tuesday morning, July 8, when the single-engine Cesnas they were flying crashed mid-air in the rural municipality of Hanover, police said.

Hanover is located south of Steinbach and west of Highway 12, in the province of Manitoba. The pair were practicing taking offs and landings when the deadly collision took place, according to Harv's Air pilot training school President Adam Penner who said they're "devastated". Mr Penner said the two pilots appeared to have attempted to land at the same time, with the collision occurring only a few hundred yards from the runway.

The training school boss said the planes have radios on board, but it appears that the two pilots didn't see each other.

The two pilots were pronounced dead at the scene and neither plane had passengers onboard, police said.

The family of 20-year-old Savanna May Royes said she was one of the pilots involved in a statement provided to CBC News, the news service of Canada's public broadcaster.

They described Savannah as "the essence of pure joy," and that her "faith and laughter will forever touch everyone who was lucky enough to have known her, during her short life".

One of the pilots nearly had a commercial license, while the other was only a couple of months into training, he said.

Both of them were training for private and commercial licences and hoping to become airline pilots.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said the bodies of the two pilots were found in the wreckage, as per the outlet.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), an independent agency which investigates crashes, said: "Two aircraft operated by Harv's Air Service, a Cessna 172 and a Cessna 152, were conducting local training flights from Steinbach South Airport, Manitoba, each with one pilot on board.

"While on final approach to Runway 36, the two aircraft collided in mid-air and then with the terrain, approximately a quarter of a statute mile from the threshold at around 08:43 local time.

"A post-impact fire ensued. Both pilots were fatally injured. The TSB is currently gathering information and assessing the accident."

Penner said the school, which was started by his parents in 1970s, has students from Canada and around the world training for professional and recreational purposes, and trains about 400 student pilots per year.