Investigation Underway for Skydiving Plane Crash in Northeastern France

A plane carrying participants in a skydiving activity crashed shortly after takeoff in northeastern France on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of all 11 individuals on board, according to authorities. The Meurthe-et-Moselle Prefecture reported that the aircraft crashed shortly after departing from Nancy-Essey Airport, leading to the activation of the department's operational command center. The victims included five parachuting instructors, five novice jumpers preparing for tandem skydives, and the pilot. Prefect Yves Séguy stated that the aircraft experienced a malfunction and fell almost vertically, narrowly avoiding a populated area. Flight tracking data indicated that the single-engine Pilatus PC-6 banked left shortly after takeoff before crashing near residential homes, approximately 300 yards from the runway. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot visited the crash site to meet with local officials and emergency responders. Nunez noted that a medico-psychological emergency unit was activated to support the victims' families and witnesses. An investigation directed by the Paris prosecutor's office and the Air Transport Gendarmerie's investigative unit has been initiated to determine the cause of the crash. Tabarot described the incident as a significant tragedy and expressed condolences to the victims' families. This incident is noted as France's deadliest aviation accident involving a skydiving flight in about 30 years.