A civil aircraft crashed this Sunday near the Nancy-Essey airfield, located in Meurthe-et-Moselle, northeastern France, resulting in the death of all 11 people on board. The device was carrying out an introductory skydiving flight when the tragedy occurred.
According to information from an investigator heard by the AFP agency, the disaster was recorded at 11:25 am local time (6:25 am in Brasília), south of the airport runway. The aircraft, a German-registered Pilatus model, departed from the same Nancy-Essey airfield.
The victims include five instructors, five students and the pilot who commanded the aircraft. Details reveal that the skydiving students were mostly self-employed nurses, which adds a special twist to the loss for their communities.
Yves Séguy, prefect of the Meurthe-et-Moselle department, assured that there were no victims on land during the incident.
A task force made up of health professionals and psychologists was promptly called in to offer support to the families of the victims present at the aerodrome at the time of the accident. Assistance was also made available to witnesses who witnessed the fall.
In his statement, Yves Séguy expressed deep solidarity: “On behalf of all the emergency services and authorities present here, our thoughts go out to the victims and their families in this moment of mourning.”
The head of the municipal executive added that local authorities are awaiting the start of technical expertise work.
“We are awaiting the arrival of the scientific police so that standard procedures can be carried out,” said the mayor.
Amaury Lacôte, deputy prosecutor for the Republic of Nancy, confirmed that the investigation of the case was assigned to the Paris Investigations Section and the Nancy-Metz Air Transport Gendarmerie Brigade. Investigation teams have already started work at the scene of the incident, as reported by the newspaper Le Monde.
“The association that provides support to victims was also called to offer assistance to people impacted by this tragedy”, declared Amaury Lacôte.
The investigative task force includes the participation of the Metz-Nancy Lorraine Air Transport Gendarmerie Brigade, the Air Transport Gendarmerie Investigations Section and 15 gendarmerie agents, which include five criminal identification experts and specialized aviation investigators. Authorities indicated that this contingent will be expanded soon.
Laurent Nuñez, French Interior Minister, is scheduled to visit the disaster area this Sunday, in the company of Transport Minister, Philippe Tabarot.
The incident required the mobilization of approximately 50 firefighters, 25 rescue vehicles, a significant number of police officers and teams from the French civil protection association.
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