Eleven people, including five skydiving instructors, five first-time jumpers, and the pilot, died Sunday when a Pilatus PC-6 plane crashed moments after taking off from the Nancy-Essey Airfield in northeastern France. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez described the scene as one of immense emotional trauma, with some victims' relatives witnessing the aircraft fall from the sky.
The single-engine plane was en route from the airfield near Nancy when it experienced an apparent malfunction, according to Meurthe-et-Moselle Prefect Yves Séguy. The aircraft fell almost vertically, crashing approximately 300 yards from the runway and narrowly missing a populated area.
Flight-tracking data indicated the aircraft banked left after takeoff before disappearing from radar less than a minute into its flight. France's Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) has launched a safety investigation into the incident and dispatched investigators to the crash site.
Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the crash, and officials cautioned against speculation while the investigation is ongoing. Nancy Mayor Mathieu Klein expressed the city's grief, calling the crash an "immense shock" and offering condolences to the victims' families. A gathering space has been established at Marcel Picot Stadium for residents to pay their respects.
The Meurthe-et-Moselle prefecture activated a public information center to assist victims' families. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot stated that this is the country's deadliest skydiving aviation accident in approximately three decades.