A tragic accident occurred on Sunday in eastern France, where a skydiving plane crashed, resulting in the death of all 11 people on board. This incident is one of the deadliest involving light aircraft in the country.
The crash took place in Tomblaine and claimed the lives of five instructors, five students, and the pilot, as confirmed by Yves Seguy, the prefect of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department. The students were identified as nurses participating in their first skydiving jump, aiming to relax during a difficult period marked by a heatwave.
Mathieu Klein, the mayor of Nancy, conveyed that the victims died while their loved ones, who were preparing to capture the tandem skydives, watched on. Authorities provided medical and psychological support to the families and witnesses present at the scene.
An AFP journalist reported that the Pilatus PC-6 light aircraft, registered in Germany, crashed in a grassy area near the Nancy-Essey aerodrome runway. Tragedy was narrowly avoided as the crash occurred a few meters from residential homes.
Herve Feron, the mayor of Tomblaine, described the incident as the plane inexplicably falling straight down during ascent. The aircraft was chartered specifically for the skydiving event that weekend, a common practice.
The cause of the crash remains undetermined. A technical investigation is underway, led by Amaury Lacote, deputy public prosecutor in Nancy. Authorities have urged the public to steer clear of the airport area, ensuring emergency services can operate without obstruction.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot plan to visit the crash site later today.
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