Small French plane suddenly plunges vertically from the sky: 11 dead

©picture alliance / MAXPPP | ALEXANDRE MARCHI

Eleven people were killed on Sunday in Tomblaine, France, near Nancy, when a small civilian plane belonging to a skydiving school crashed shortly after takeoff. The aircraft took off from Nancy-Essey Airport and, moments later, crashed vertically just a few hundred meters from the runway in an area close to residential homes. According to BFMTV, there were no casualties on the ground.

According to the Meurthe-et-Moselle prefecture, there were eleven people on board: the pilot, five instructors, and five students who were set to take an introductory skydiving lesson. The victims reportedly included independent nurses from Nancy who were planning to skydive for the first time. Local media reported that family members witnessed the horrific crash.

Cause?

Prefect Yves Séguy cited a technical malfunction but emphasized that the exact cause has not yet been determined. According to him, it was not an emergency landing. The aircraft suddenly plummeted and crashed without any visible evasive maneuver. A witness also reported that the engine suddenly cut out.

The impact caused panic in the area and led to a power outage near the crash site. Emergency services, medical teams, and psychological support were quickly on the scene. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez later visited the crash site and described it as a tragedy that has affected the entire country.

According to the French Bureau of Investigation and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), this is the deadliest accident in the history of French civil aviation, excluding military and commercial flights. Previously, the highest death toll occurred in a paragliding accident in 1988, when nine people died. The cause of the crash in Tomblaine is still under investigation.

©picture alliance / MAXPPP | ALEXANDRE MARCHI