A single-engine plane carrying skydivers crashed shortly after takeoff in northeastern France on Sunday, killing everyone aboard, in one of the country's deadliest sport-aviation accidents in years.
A fall just after takeoff
The aircraft went down around midday near the Nancy-Essey aerodrome at Tomblaine, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department, soon after leaving the runway, Al Jazeera reported. All 11 people on board were killed. Officials identified the plane as a Pilatus PC-6, a Swiss-built utility turboprop widely used for parachute jumps, and said it came down in a field a short distance from the airfield.
Regional officials said those aboard included the pilot, skydiving instructors and clients who had come for tandem jumps, according to ABC7 and the Associated Press. The regional prefect, Yves Séguy, said the crash site was close enough to homes and roads that the toll could have been worse had the plane come down a little differently.
Government response and investigation
Senior officials traveled to the scene, including Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot and Interior Minister Laurent Nunez. Tabarot called it "a terrible tragedy" and said "the human toll is particularly heavy," Al Jazeera reported. Local authorities said counselors were sent to support relatives and witnesses, some of whom saw the crash.
French aviation safety investigators and the gendarmerie opened an inquiry. The cause has not been determined; officials pointed to an apparent loss of power before the plane's steep descent, but cautioned that the investigation is in its early stages. No timeline was given for initial findings.
Tomblaine's mayor said the town was in mourning and that no buildings were struck. As France grappled with the loss, the crash drew national attention to the safety of recreational parachute flights — a question investigators will now work to answer.
