Saskatchewan plane crash pilots identified as Indian students

The Indian consulate has identified the victims of a plane crash on Sept. 18 near Kisbey, Sask.

In a post to X, the Consulate General of India in Vancouver said it "expresses its deepest condolences on the tragic demise of Shri Manoj Sivakumar and Shri Srisaran Thirugnanasambantham, two Indian students from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry."

The Consulate said it's offering support for families during the repatriation process.

The two licensed pilots rented a Cessna 172 from Harv's Air, a St. Andrews, Man., based flight school, for a night flight from Regina to Steinbach, Man., through Carlyle, Sask., according to an emailed statement from Adam Penner, the president of Harv's Air.

According to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), the plane was reported as overdue for arrival at 10:30 a.m. CDT on Sept. 18.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Trenton led a search and rescue response, according to JRCC public affairs officer Lieutenant Zoë Hollander.

The crash site was located in a remote rural area near Kisbey, Sask., around 6 p.m. CDT. RCMP, and search and rescue technicians, attended the site.

JRCC then transferred the case to the RCMP.

According to a statement from the RCMP, the TSB is leading the investigation into the cause of the crash.

The TSB said in a statement that a preliminary summary of the crash should be available by the end of the week.