Seneca College mourns the loss of two students and flight instructor

MARKHAM, ON, Nov. 19 /CNW/ - Plans are underway for a private memorial for the two Seneca students and their flight instructor who perished in a crash just north of Pickering last night.

At the request of the families of the deceased, Seneca is now releasing their names.

Flight instructor, 26-year-old Azizullah Yoosufani and two third-year students, 20-year-old Cynthia Hoi-Mei Tsang and 20-year old Lloyd Myles Cripps were returning to Buttonville airport from a routine flight training exercise when, around 7 p.m., Pearson International Airport notified Durham Regional Police they lost the plane on radar.

A police helicopter searched the area and located the downed plane's wreckage in a farmer's field near Whitevale Road, south of Highway 407 in north Pickering. All three were pronounced dead at the scene.

"Our community of students, staff, friends and colleagues are coming together in the face of this terrible tragedy," says David Agnew, President Seneca College. "We ask that with the release of the names of the deceased, the privacy of the grieving families be respected."

"All three will be profoundly missed and each displayed the very best qualities of a Seneca student. They were passionate about their chosen field, committed to excellence and known to be kind, caring individuals," says Laurel Schollen, Dean Faculty of Applied Sciences and Engineering Technology.

Azizullah Yoosafeni graduated with honours from the flight degree program in 2008. He was an Air Canada Jazz Award Winner and also won the Global Aerospace Underwriting Managers Award, Sheryl Lee Memorial Award and the Ted Brown Memorial Bursary. He was on the President's Honour List. He completed his instructor rating upon graduation and began working with Seneca in August 2008. He had just completed his upgrade to a Class 1 instructor. He was respected by faculty and his peers, not only for his skill as an instructor, but for the person he was. He was an upstanding citizen and exemplified professionalism. "He was a great role model for other students. He had a very strong work ethic; he was kind and thoughtful. "He was a decent person with the full meaning of the word," said Adel Labib, a Professor at Seneca's School of Aviation and Flight Technology.

Cynthia Tsang was a class leader. She was well liked and was an enthusiastic and dedicated student and made the President's Honour List. She had passed her commercial pilot written exam and flight test.  "Cynthia was one of the most polite students I ever taught at Seneca, and she had such great spirit," said Labib.

Lloyd Cripps was a very strong student working toward his instructor's rating. Lloyd had also passed his commercial pilot written exam and flight test. He was a Canadian and British citizen and was looking forward to flying in Europe after graduation. "He was an energetic and fun-loving person, a dedicated student and an all around great person," said Labib.

"On behalf of Markham Council, we join the staff and students of our partner Seneca College, in expressing our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victims of this unfortunate accident," said Mayor Frank Scarpitti. 

For further information:

Seneca College Media Relations 416-491-5050 x 7018