Paris, France — Eleven people were killed on Sunday after a small aircraft carrying a group of skydivers crashed shortly after takeoff near the eastern French city of Nancy, in what authorities have described as the country’s deadliest general aviation accident in recent years.
The aircraft crashed at around 11:00 a.m. local time (0900 GMT) near a supermarket in Tomblaine, just 300 metres from the runway after departing from Nancy-Essey Aerodrome, according to local authorities.
Yves Seguy, Prefect of Meurthe-et-Moselle, confirmed that all 11 people on board were killed and that there were no casualties or damage on the ground. According to regional newspaper L’Est Républicain, the victims included the pilot, five skydiving instructors and five student skydivers.
The aircraft has been identified as a German-registered Pilatus, a model commonly used for parachuting operations. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said several victims’ family members were at the airport when the tragedy occurred, with some witnessing the aircraft crash shortly after takeoff.
The investigation has been taken over by the Collective Accidents Unit of the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office, with the Air Transport Gendarmerie leading the inquiry. A team of 15 specialist investigators, including forensic experts and aviation accident investigators, has been deployed to the crash site.
Investigators will examine air traffic control communications, radar data, witness statements, the aircraft’s maintenance records and its technical condition. However, the investigation is expected to be particularly challenging because the aircraft was not equipped with flight data or cockpit voice recorders.
According to aviation consultant and Aviation Sans Frontières President Gérard Feldzer, there were reportedly no radio communications between the pilot and the control tower before the crash. Witnesses near the scene said the aircraft’s engine appeared to fail moments after takeoff, leaving the pilot with insufficient altitude to recover or attempt an emergency landing.
Authorities are relying on photographs, surveillance footage and videos captured by witnesses to help reconstruct the aircraft’s final moments.
France’s Bureau d’Enquêtes et d’Analyses (BEA), the country’s civil aviation safety investigation authority, described the tragedy as the deadliest general aviation accident in France in terms of loss of life, referring to civil aviation operations outside commercial airline transport.
The investigation into the cause of the crash remains ongoing.
SOURCE : EFE./AGENCIES | Follow Us: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Youtube
