The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has released a report into a mid-air collision involving two planes in Manitoba last summer. The crash occurred on July 8 near Steinbach and involved two pilots training at Harv’s Air Service. During the morning, a total of four pilots were in a circuit doing solo training. The report said during the flight, both planes were on their final approach to the runway, with one plane, a Cessna 172R, ending up 100 feet directly above the other plane, a Cessna 152, and making brief contact. The report said the pilot of the Cessna 152 applied full power and pitched up, with the two planes colliding, becoming entangled and crashing. Both pilots were killed in the crash, and both planes were destroyed by a fire that occurred after the incident. According to the report, the pilot of the Cessna 172R held a private pilot licence since Aug. 1, 2024, and was working towards a commercial pilot licence. The pilot accumulated 169.4 total flight time hours, including 73.2 solo hours. The pilot of the Cessna 152 held a student permit since April 8, 2025, and was working towards a private pilot licence. The pilot had 59.3 accumulated flight hours before the crash, 14.4 of which were solo. According to the report, only one of the pilots in the circuit was heard stating their distance from the runway while making their final approach, and neither of the two pilots involved in the crash ever stated their distance from the runway on any of their calls. After the crash, Harv’s Air Service implemented several safety changes, according to the report. The changes include a limit of three aircraft in the circuit at a time and requiring all radio calls on the final approach to include the aircraft’s distance from the runway threshold. In addition, all aircraft lights need to be on at all times during flight, even during the day, and all students and aircraft renters must attend a safety briefing on the importance of maintaining situational awareness while flying. CTV News has reached out to Harv’s for comment. The full report can be read online.
