Kisbey, Canada: Two licensed student pilots were killed when a Cessna 172 registered to Manitoba-based flight school Harv’s Air crashed near Kisbey, Saskatchewan, during a night cross-country flight from Regina to Steinbach, Manitoba, via Carlyle, Saskatchewan, on 18 September 2026. The aircraft was reported overdue and was located by search-and-rescue crews later that evening, with both occupants found dead at the scene.
According to Harv’s Air president Adam Penner, both people aboard were licensed pilots who had rented the aircraft to build flying hours toward their commercial pilot licences.
The Consulate General of India in Vancouver expressed condolences over the deaths of Manoj Sivakumar and Srisaran Thirugnanasambantham, identifying them as Indian students from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry who died in the air accident in Canada during flight training. The Consulate said it stands ready to provide all possible consular assistance to their families, including support for the repatriation of their mortal remains to India.
The aircraft was reported overdue to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) at about 10:30 a.m. CDT on 18 September. The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Trenton coordinated the search, with a CC-138 Hercules from 435 Squadron locating the crash site. Search-and-rescue technicians then parachuted into the area. The aircraft was located at approximately 6 p.m. CDT, according to Harv’s Air, and both occupants were found dead.
The TSB deployed investigators to the crash site on 19 September, 2026. The agency later confirmed that the aircraft experienced a post-impact fire. As of 21 September, authorities had not publicly established what caused the crash. The TSB was expected to issue a preliminary summary later in the week.
