A longtime friend is remembering Steve Zago as a passionate aviator, a devoted business partner and a man whose outgoing personality helped make Lost Aviator Coffee Co. a fixture in the Guelph, Ont. community.
Zago, along with another experienced pilot, both died Friday after a small plane crashed into a field and caught fire near Fergus, Ont., according to Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
Emergency crews were called shortly after 10 a.m. to the area of Beatty Line and Wellington Road 17, north of Fergus. Both occupants were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) identified the aircraft as an amateur-built Skybolt biplane. It departed Fergus’s Juergensen Field airport at about 10 a.m. for a local aerobatic training flight with the two experienced pilots aboard.
The aircraft crashed into a cornfield about two kilometres north of the airfield and came to rest upside down, the TSB said.
The fire was extinguished by emergency crews.
Police cleared the area shortly after noon Saturday.
The TSB said it would continue gathering and analysing information in the coming weeks. Investigators have not released a cause of the crash.
A friendship built through aviation
For Adam Wright, Zago’s longtime friend and business partner, the loss is both personal and professional.
“It’s just not going to be the same,” Wright told CTV News. “Steve’s been my other half. I’ve joked about him being my coffee wife. I can’t imagine doing it without him.”
The two met through aviation in 2006 and later worked together in the airline industry before building Lost Aviator Coffee Co. during the COVID-19 pandemic, when much of the aviation sector was grounded.
“It’s been a fantastic partnership,” Wright said. “It’s been so much fun doing that with my friend. Steve has been nothing but a pleasure to have as a business partner. And I don’t think either us could ever have done this alone.”
Wright said their different personalities and complementary strengths helped the business grow.
“It’s just been a really nice synergy of our respective talents that have come together to create this company that we’re really proud of and has become bigger than us.”
When the pandemic disrupted their careers, the pair turned their attention to coffee. They launched Lost Aviator online, roasting coffee for long hours in the basement of With the Grain Bakery before moving to a York Road location in 2021 and opening a café.
Wright described Zago as the more extroverted half of the partnership, someone who naturally connected with people and helped shape the company’s approach to customer service and hiring.
“I think by nature, I’m more of an introvert. And Steve, there’s absolutely no doubt that he’s an extrovert. And so that was such a great pairing.”
‘A hammer blow to the chest’
Wright said he learned about the crash through a mutual friend and tried calling Zago and his wife before heading to the airport.
He had heard that Zago was going for an aerobatic lesson. After checking with the café and finding no one who had seen him, Wright drove to the airport, where he learned that Zago and the other pilot were the two people aboard the aircraft.
The confirmation was devastating. He described the loss as “a hammer blow to the chest.”
In the days since the crash, Wright said, the volume of condolences has offered a glimpse of just how many people Zago touched through his friendships, aviation connections and business.
Zago was known for his interest in flying, British cars and other hobbies, but Wright said his personality was what made him stand out.
“He was a big character. Beautiful person. His departure left a big void,” Wright said.
Zago had bought an aerobatic plane the previous year and was taking lessons.
“This was all new to him. And so he methodically went about learning to fly the airplane safely and then he wanted to see what all the capabilities of the airplane were.,” he explained. “So, he had hired a new robotics instructor to give him lessons, privately.”
A community mourning a familiar face
News of Zago’s death has prompted tributes from people in Guelph and the wider aviation community.
Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie posted a tribute online, describing Zago as a local entrepreneur who was widely known and loved across the city.
“Steve was so positive and instilled a mindset into his store(s) and to others that was contagious,” Guthrie wrote.
He also highlighted Zago’s willingness to support other businesses and help people in need.
“He literally always gave to others in need and helped promote so many other businesses in Guelph,” Guthrie wrote.
The Waterloo Warbirds also posted a statement online, saying they were “heartbroken” to hear of the passing of their fellow team member.
“Steve joined Waterloo Warbirds in 2017 and was a valued member of the team in countless capacities. In addition to assisting with flight operations that helped hundreds of passengers experience once-in-a-lifetime flights, Steve participated in restoration projects that helped grow our fleet,” the post read in part. “The Waterloo Warbirds team extends our deepest condolences to Steve’s wife Holly, his family, Lost Aviator business partner and friend Adam, their staff and his friends and colleagues. We also share our condolences with the family and friends of the second pilot who lost their life in the accident. Steve will be missed by all of us at Waterloo Warbirds. Blue skies, Steve!”
In a post on Instagram, Royal City Brewing & Beer Hall offered its condolences to Zago’s family, friends and Lost Aviator Coffee Co. employees.
“Steve didn’t just talk about community. He showed up for it. Whenever there was something to build, fix, organize or celebrate, Steve was at the front with his time, his care and his big heart,” the post read in part. “He believed in this neighbourhood, the people who live here and the small businesses that call it home, and he backed that belief with action. So much of what makes this corner of the city feel like a community is a part of him. We’re grateful for everything he gave, and we know we will feel feel his absence deeply. To Steve’s family, friends and the whole Lost Aviator crew: you’re in our thoughts and hearts.”
Looking ahead for Lost Aviator Coffee Co.
Wright said the business plans to continue operating, although it will not be the same without Zago.
Zago’s wife is expected to help represent his voice in the business as the company moves ahead.
The café planned to reopen Tuesday during its regular hours, with two of Zago’s friends on hand to speak with customers and support staff as they navigate questions and grief.
For Wright, the challenge will be continuing a business that grew out of a friendship and a shared love of aviation.
“We’re going to do tributes to Steve in the ways that present themselves and that are appropriate. I don’t know what those are yet, but we’ll do him justice,” he said.
