Eleven killed after skydiving plane crashes moments after take-off in eastern France
A light aircraft carrying five instructors and five students on a tandem skydiving flight crashed beside the runway at Nancy-Essey airfield, killing all 11 people on board.
A small plane operated by a local parachute school came down at 11:00 on Sunday morning in the town of Tomblaine, just outside Nancy in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department. The Pilatus PC-6, registered in Germany, had taken off from the Nancy-Essey aerodrome and was on an introductory tandem jump when it fell suddenly, according to authorities.
The victims
The prefect of Meurthe-et-Moselle, Yves Seguy, confirmed that the pilot and ten passengers died at the scene. Five of the dead were instructors and five were students making their first parachute jump. Several French outlets reported that the students were nurses from a private clinic; a regional nursing federation said a special flight had been organised for them. The aircraft belonged to a parachuting school and had been hired by a local company offering tandem skydiving experiences.
How the crash unfolded
The plane, which was transporting 11 people, fell suddenly immediately next to the aerodrome. There were no collateral victims.
The machine came down in a grassy strip between the runway and a residential area, close to a supermarket. The mayor of Nancy, Mathieu Klein, told Franceinfo that the impact occurred only a few metres from housing. Emergency personnel cordoned off the area and urged the public to avoid the site.
Shock on the ground
Relatives and friends of the passengers had gathered at the airfield to watch the jump and witnessed the aircraft go down. Psychological support teams from the regional university hospital were deployed to care for them.
The city of Tomblaine and the Grand Nancy metropolitan authority opened private reception spaces for the bereaved.It is immense emotion, stupefaction, a very great shock. There are many collateral psychological victims because families and friends were present and saw the plane fall.
Official reaction
Interior minister Laurent Nuñez and transport minister Philippe Tabarot both travelled to the accident site on Sunday afternoon. Deputy public prosecutor Amaury Lacote said a technical investigation had been launched. Police, firefighters and rescue services worked to secure the debris and gather witness accounts. The cause of the crash remains unknown.
Context
The accident ranks among the deadliest involving a light aircraft in France. All flights at the aerodrome were suspended while the investigation got under way.
