11 Killed in Skydiving Plane Crash in Northeastern France
A single-engine aircraft operated by a skydiving school crashed shortly after takeoff in Tomblaine, France, on Sunday, killing all 11 people on board.
The incident occurred at approximately 11:00 local time at the Nancy-Essey airfield, near the city of Nancy.
Incident Details
The aircraft, a Pilatus PC-6 registered in Germany, took off from the Nancy-Essey airfield. According to flight tracking service Flightradar24, the plane banked left after takeoff and crashed less than one minute later, approximately 300 meters from the runway.
Regional prefect Yves Seguy stated that the aircraft appeared to suffer damage before descending vertically into a grassy field. The crash site was near a built-up area and a shopping center. Officials noted that no bystanders were injured.
Victims
All 11 individuals on board died in the crash. The deceased include:
- The pilot
- Five parachuting instructors
- Five novice jumpers
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed that the novice jumpers were participating in tandem jumps, where an instructor and a novice are attached together for descent. Some of the victims' families were at the airfield and witnessed the crash.
Response
Emergency services responded immediately to the scene. Police requested that the public avoid the airport area to facilitate access for responders. Support services, including psychological assistance, are being provided to the victims' relatives.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot were traveling to the scene. Nunez declined to speculate on the cause of the crash but stated that the plane fell suddenly. Tabarot noted that this is France's biggest aviation accident involving skydiving in approximately 30 years.
Investigation
The Paris prosecutor's office is leading the investigation into the crash. Deputy public prosecutor Amaury Lacote confirmed that a technical investigation has been opened. Authorities are collecting witness statements.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation, and the local prosecutor has not yet commented.