In brief
A light aircraft used by a parachutist school took off from the Nancy‑Essey airfield on Sunday and crashed near the edge of the airfield in Tomblaine, eastern France, killing 11 people – the pilot and 10 passengers. Five instructors, five first‑time skydivers and five nurses were among the victims, making it France’s deadliest private plane accident apart from military and commercial flights. The crash occurred at about 11:00 local time, and witnesses reported seeing the plane veer to the right before it hit the ground, narrowly missing nearby residential houses and a shopping centre. French authorities have launched an investigation, and medical and psychological support teams have attended the site. The incident comes amid a searing heatwave in the region, but officials are not yet drawing conclusions about any weather factors.
A light aircraft that was carrying a group of skydivers crashed on Sunday in the town of Tomblaine, east of Nancy, France, killing the pilot and all 10 passengers, including five instructors and five people making their first jump.
The aircraft, belonging to a local parachutist school, took off from the Nancy‑Essey airfield at about 11:00 local time (10:00 BST). Witnesses near the airfield saw the plane veer to the right before it smashed to the ground near the edge of the airstrip, close to a residential area and a shopping centre. The crash narrowly missed nearby houses, but released a fire that burned the wreckage. A side‑road driver reported hearing a loud thud and saw the plane catch fire but did not see the wreckage due to an embankment.
According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, the investigation is now underway. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the police and emergency services were on site, noting that some relatives had seen the crash in front of their loved ones, and he praised the “great solidarity” for the victims’ families. A prefect of Meurthe‑et‑Moselle highlighted the danger of collateral casualties, and a local nursing organisation president said many of the deceased were nurses who had been looking forward to a first‑time jump as a break from the strain of a recent heatwave.
The French Bureau of Aeronautic Accidents (BEA) has confirmed that this event is the deadliest private‑plane crash in French history, excluding military and commercial incidents. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, and officials are refraining from speculation, especially given that the region is still under an amber heatwave warning.
Image: Pilot and ten skydivers die after a light aircraft crashed in Tomblaine, eastern France, on Sunday
