plane crash – A small plane operated by a parachuting school crashed shortly after takeoff from Nancy-Essey airport in northeastern France on Sunday, June 28, killing 11 people, including the pilot and 10 parachutists. The aircraft went down near a residential area as famil
The sound of the engine cut out without warning, and then the plane was suddenly gone.
At around 11 a.m. local time on Sunday. June 28. a small aircraft used by a parachuting school crashed in the northeastern French town of Tomblaine. killing 11 people—among them the pilot and 10 parachutists. Officials said the plane came down shortly after takeoff from Nancy-Essey airport, narrowly missing nearby homes as families watched.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, speaking to reporters at the scene, said the crash occurred about 300 meters from the runway. “The emotion here is intense,” he said.
Some of the trainees’ family members were at the small regional airport and witnessed the crash. A witness who declined to be identified described how the plane had been climbing before the engine noise suddenly stopped. as if the engine had cut out. The witness said they saw no fire, explosion, or other visible sign of a problem before impact.
Regional prefect Yves Seguy said the aircraft plunged vertically to the ground. The crash happened in a residential area near a shopping centre, and the wreckage of the single-engine plane was found on a bike path.
Seguy said the accident could have been far worse. “Give or take a few meters and the accident could have caused collateral casualties,” he told BFM.
Officials said the plane was carrying five trainee parachutists and five instructors. Media reports said the aircraft was registered in Germany, and the German foreign ministry did not immediately comment.
Investigators also faced an open question about weather. It was not immediately clear if extreme heat played a role in the incident, with the highest temperature ever recorded in Nancy occurring one day earlier, near Tomblaine.
The local prosecutor had not immediately responded to a request for comment.
France plane crash Tomblaine Nancy-Essey airport parachuting school Laurent Nunez Yves Seguy German-registered aircraft