Mid-air crashes rare, but some have occurred in Canada

Two small planes collided over a bustling Quebec shopping mall on Friday. One person was killed and three people were injured. Here is a look at some other mid-air collisions in Canada:

April 8, 1954: A Trans-Canada Airlines Canadair C-4 North Star is struck by a climbing Royal Canadian Air Force Harvard trainer over Moose Jaw, Sask. The crash sends debris raining down on the community and the much larger passenger plane just misses a school full of kids as it plummets to the ground. Thirty-five people on board the passenger plane are killed along with the Harvard pilot and one person on the ground.

Aug. 4, 2006: Three people are killed when two Cessnas collide near Caledon, Ont., not far from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport. One of the planes was being flown by an instructor and student. A report into the crash recommended the busy airspace around Pearson be redesigned so that small planes have more room to avoid each other.

May 12, 2012: Four adults and an 11-year-old boy are killed near St. Brieux, Sask., when a small plane heading to a northern fishing camp collides with a plane travelling from Alberta.  A report into the crash concludes the converging position of the two planes would have made it difficult for either to see the oncoming aircraft until it was too late.