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A Manitoba family still grieving the loss of their daughter in a mid-air collision last summer says they are heartbroken after two more people died in a crash involving another Harv’s Air aircraft near Kisbey, Saskatchewan, on Friday evening.
The crash marks the third serious incident for the Manitoba-based flight school in less than two years. For the Royes family, the news brought an immediate and painful reminder of their own loss.
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Second Fatal Crash Strikes Harv’s Air
A Cessna 172 departed Regina on a night flight bound for Steinbach, Manitoba, but never arrived. Adam Penner, president of Harv’s Air, confirmed that crews located the aircraft Friday evening. Both occupants were dead.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) also confirmed the crash. Media relations officer Sophie Wistaff stated in an emailed release on Sunday that a post-impact fire occurred at the scene. The TSB expects to release a preliminary summary of the incident later this week.
Harv’s Air has operated as a flight school since 1973. The school is based in Manitoba and has trained pilots for more than five decades.
Family Still Mourning Earlier Tragedy
On July 8, 2025, two Harv’s Air student pilots died after a mid-air collision during a training exercise near Steinbach. Sreehari Sukesh and Savanna Royes both died at the scene.
Savanna’s mother, Loraine Royes, said the news of Friday’s crash stopped her cold. “Our hearts just literally stopped because there’s not one day that goes by that we don’t think of Savy and her accident,” she said.
Loraine described how her husband, Tim, had been tracking Savanna’s flight using a location app. He noticed the plane had stopped moving and was sitting still in a field. He broke down crying when he realized what had happened.
Loraine recalled the moment she spoke with the school after the crash. “They said ‘hold on.’ Those two words haunted me for the rest of my life because I knew it wasn’t good,” she said. “My whole body just went into complete shock.”
A Family’s Grief Renewed
Savanna was the youngest of three children. Her mother remembered her with deep affection. “She was the kindest and sweetest person ever. She always put people first. She was just light,” said Loraine.
Now, hearing that two more families face similar grief is almost unbearable for the Royes family. “Just knowing that two more lives have been lost and two more families are basically going to face what we have been facing — it’s the worst,” Loraine said.
Harv’s Air president Adam Penner also responded to the latest crash. “The entire Harv’s Air family is shocked and saddened by this tragedy. Both pilots had close ties to their fellow students and instructors,” he said in an emailed statement on Sunday.
The TSB investigation into the Kisbey crash is ongoing. Further details are expected later this week when investigators release their preliminary findings.
