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Civilian plane carrying 11 skydivers crashes in France's Tomblaine; all dead
All 11 people, including five instructors, five students and the pilot, were killed, authorities said.
Eleven people have died after a civilian aircraft carrying a group of skydivers crashed on Sunday in Tomblaine, near Nancy in France, as per Reuters.
The victims are believed to include five instructors, five students and the pilot, according to French outlet Le Parisien. Emergency services rushed to the scene as authorities worked to assess the situation.
The deceased are believed to be self-employed nurses from Nancy who were participating in their first skydiving experience, Thierry Pechey, president of the Meurthe-et-Moselle branch of the Order of Independent Nurses, told BFMTV from the crash site. "It would appear that the victims are self-employed nurses," he said.
Several relatives of the victims witnessed the crash, according to local media. They had gathered to watch the group's introductory skydiving experience. Authorities have set up a medical and psychological support unit to assist the victims' families.
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The plane crashed near houses, on a grassy area alongside a road. "The accident happened around 11 am," a witness told the French daily L'Est Républicain. "I was driving by on my way to do my shopping at Auchan when I saw it dive and crash."
The aircraft was a German-registered Pilatus, a type of plane commonly used for parachute ops and skydiving activities, local media reported.
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Representatives from the prosecutor's office, the police and the emergency medical service (SAMU) are expected to provide further details.
Police have asked the public to avoid the area around Salvador Allende Street, asking people not to travel to the site so emergency responders and law enforcement can access the crash scene without obstruction.
Plane was on its third takeoff
The crash occurred during the aircraft's third takeoff of the day, Pierre-Yves Eugène, president of the National Parachutists' Union, told BFMTV. He said the Pilatus aircraft is a "very demanding" machine that requires a comprehensive inspection every two years.
Cause of the crash
The aircraft, which belonged to a skydiving club, plunged vertically "without any known cause" of the crash, Meurthe-et-Moselle Prefect Yves Séguy told Le Parisien.
He added that there was no flight path suggesting the pilot had attempted an emergency landing. The plane crashed near residential areas, but no one on the ground was injured.
Police ask people to avoid area
Police have asked people to stay away from the crash site.
"Please avoid the area around Rue Salvador Allende in Tomblaine. To ensure the easiest possible access for emergency services and law enforcement, please do not go to the area and facilitate the passage of priority vehicles," the Meurthe-et-Moselle National Police said in a social media post.
French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot described the crash as a "terrible tragedy," confirming that all 11 people on board had died. In a post on X, he expressed his condolences to the victims' families and said he would travel to the crash site later in the day with Interior Minister Laurent Nunez.
An investigation into the crash has been launched. Deputy Public Prosecutor Amaury Lacote told local media that the Public Prosecutor's Office tasked the forensic identification service and the Nancy-Metz Air Transport Gendarmerie Brigade with initiating the investigation.
The plane crash also caused a general power outage in the area around Tomblaine, according to local reports.
