Families watched in shock as a skydiving plane carrying their loved ones crashed in what was supposed to be a dramatic introduction to skydiving in northeastern France on Sunday, killing all 11 people on board, authorities said.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that among the dead were five skydiving instructors, five novice jumpers and the pilot. Transport Minister Philippe Tabaro said this was the largest aviation accident in France involving skydiving in about 30 years.
“Some of the victims’ families saw the plane go down with their own eyes,” Nunez said. “So, there are tremendous emotions and even greater psychological trauma.”
He refused to speculate on the cause of the accident, but said that the plane suddenly fell from the sky. He said it had just taken off from Nancy-Issy airport on the outskirts of Nancy when it fell about 300 meters from the runway.
Yves Séguy, governor of the Merthe-et-Moselle region, said the plane suffered a malfunction and “fell almost vertically”, narrowly missing a built-up area.
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He added: “If the accident had occurred only dozens of meters away, the accident could have caused collateral injuries.”
The plane veered to the left after take-off and crashed less than a minute later near homes, according to flight tracking service FlightRadar24.
Police cordoned off the crumbling wreckage.
Flight tracking websites identified the plane as a single-engine Pilatus PC-6, a small carrier for cargo, passengers and skydivers.
Nancy Mayor Mathieu Klein told France Info public radio that the paratroopers were scheduled to jump in tandem. Tandem jumps are skydiving experiences in which two people, often an instructor and a novice jumper, are strapped together for a landing.
Officials said emergency services responded immediately and are providing psychological support to the victims’ relatives. Nunez said the Paris prosecutor’s office is leading the investigation into the incident.
One resident, identified by BFM-TV as John Coraco, said he was in his yard when he heard what sounded like the plane’s engine stopping, followed immediately by a bang.
He said he went to the crash site and “there were no signs of life,” and two bodies were scattered a few meters from the plane.
—Lester reported from Paris and Hatton from Lisbon, Portugal.
& Edition 2026 The Canadian Press
