Eleven people perished when a skydiving aircraft crashed in northeastern France shortly after departing from an airfield on Sunday, with some relatives of the victims witnessing the horrifying accident unfold.
The single-engine Pilatus PC-6 aircraft went down moments after taking off from the Nancy-Essey Airfield, situated near the city of Nancy. Authorities confirmed that all eleven occupants on board died in the incident. Among the victims were five experienced skydiving instructors, five individuals embarking on their first parachute jump, and the pilot.
Tragic Incident Unfolds Near Nancy
Laurent Nuñez, France's Interior Minister, stated that the traumatic event was observed firsthand by some family members of those on the plane.
"Some of the victims' families witnessed the aircraft falling with their own eyes," Nuñez remarked. "So there is tremendous emotion and an even greater psychological trauma."
Yves Séguy, the Prefect of Meurthe-et-Moselle, indicated that the aircraft appeared to experience a mechanical issue, subsequently "fell almost vertically." The plane narrowly avoided a residential area, crashing approximately 300 yards from the runway.
According to flight-tracking data from Flightradar24, the aircraft executed a left bank after takeoff before its signal disappeared from radar less than a minute into its flight path.
Investigation Underway into Catastrophic Failure
France's Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), the nation's principal agency for investigating aviation accidents, announced on social media that it has initiated a safety investigation into the Pilatus PC-6 crash. Four investigators, along with a first-response investigator, were dispatched to the scene to gather evidence.
Officials have not yet determined the cause of the fatal accident and have cautioned against premature speculation while wreckage analysis is ongoing.
Community Mourns and Seeks Answers
Nancy Mayor Mathieu Klein expressed profound sorrow over the incident in a social media statement, describing the crash as "an immense shock that has plunged the Greater Nancy area into mourning." He extended his deepest condolences to the victims' families and those who witnessed the tragedy.
Mayor Klein reported visiting the crash site alongside other regional officials, where he commended the "remarkable professionalism and commitment" demonstrated by the emergency services, medical teams, and security personnel. He also announced that a communal space would be established at Marcel Picot Stadium in Greater Nancy, allowing residents to offer their respects and show solidarity with the affected families.
The Meurthe-et-Moselle prefecture confirmed the activation of a public information center on Sunday afternoon to provide support to the victims' families. The hotline is slated to resume operations on Monday morning as recovery efforts and the comprehensive investigation continue.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot characterized the crash as the deadliest skydiving aviation accident in France in approximately three decades, underscoring the severity of the tragedy.
