Laval mother recalls daughter Mayan Guesmi, 23-year-old Air Canada pilot killed in July crash
Samah Jebbari is pushing for aviation safety improvements after her daughter's aircraft caught fire in a field near Victoriaville during a solo training flight on July 20.
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Mayan Guesmi, a 23-year-old pilot from Laval, was killed on July 20 when her aircraft crashed in a field near Victoriaville and caught fire during a solo training flight. Her mother, Samah Jebbari, is now pushing for comprehensive aviation safety improvements to prevent similar tragedies.
Guesmi had started her career at Air Canada as a flight attendant before transitioning to pilot training after approximately six months. At a recent ritual ceremony, an Air Canada captain presented Jebbari with pilot wings — les ailes du pilote — in honour of her daughter.
Jebbari told the source she is in contact with Savannah Royce's mother — Royce, another student pilot, died in July 2025 in a collision between two training aircraft in Winnipeg. "It's exactly like the same month, July, 2025 and me, July, 2026," Jebbari said. "Part of me, I feel like she's giving me strength and telling me like to always keep our daughter's memory alive. And also, I feel like I don't want any other family to feel what I'm feeling now. That's why it's important to go through the safety and right recommendations and learn from what happened to Savannah in 2025 and to Mayan in 2026."
Coroner Pierre Bélisle identified Guesmi as the pilot killed in the crash. The Victoriaville coroner will conduct an inquest to determine the causes and circumstances of the death. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating the crash and is expected to release its investigation report in the coming months.
At a glance
Where and when did Mayan Guesmi's aircraft crash?
Mayan Guesmi's aircraft crashed in a field near Victoriaville on July 20, 2026, during a solo training flight.
What is Samah Jebbari doing in response to her daughter's death?
Samah Jebbari is pushing for comprehensive aviation safety improvements and is in contact with the mother of Savannah Royce, another student pilot who died in a training aircraft collision in Winnipeg in July 2025.
What will happen next in the investigation?
The Victoriaville coroner will conduct an inquest to determine the causes and circumstances of Mayan Guesmi's death, and the Transportation Safety Board of Canada is expected to release its investigation report in the coming months.
