Eleven people were killed after a small aircraft carrying skydivers crashed shortly after takeoff in the northeastern French town of Tomblaine near Nancy on Sunday. The victims included the pilot, five skydiving instructors and five first-time parachutists.
The German-registered Pilatus PC-6 aircraft had just departed from the Nancy-Essey airfield when it suddenly lost altitude and plunged almost vertically to the ground, crashing on a bike path near a residential area and a shopping centre. Authorities said the plane came down only about 300 metres from the runway and narrowly avoided causing casualties on the ground.
Some of the victims' family members were present at the airport and witnessed the tragedy unfold. Local officials described scenes of immense shock and grief, with psychological support teams deployed to assist relatives and witnesses.
The cause of the crash remains unknown. Witnesses reported that the aircraft's engine noise suddenly stopped moments before it fell. French authorities, including the Paris prosecutor's office and aviation investigators, have launched an investigation into the incident.
Officials have called it France's deadliest skydiving-related aviation accident in nearly three decades.
