A light aircraft crash in eastern France has become the deadliest small aviation disaster in the country in recent decades. The plane, which was carrying parachutists, crashed shortly after takeoff, killing all 11 people on board. French authorities say it is the worst such tragedy in the nation's history.

The accident occurred on Sunday in the town of Tomblaine, near Nancy. The Pilatus PC-6 light aircraft, registered in Germany and used for skydiving, crashed while gaining altitude.

According to Meurthe-et-Moselle prefect Yves Seguy, the plane carried five instructors, five novice skydivers, and a pilot. Local officials reported that among the victims was a group of nurses who had decided to make their first parachute jump. Thierry Pêche, head of the departmental nursing council, said it was an attempt to 'distract and relax' after a difficult period of heat.

The tragedy unfolded in front of relatives who had come to the airfield to film the tandem jumps. The plane crashed onto a grassy area near the runway of Nancy-Essey airport, just meters from residential buildings and roads.

Tomblaine mayor Hervé Feron described the crash as 'completely inexplicable' as the plane was climbing—it essentially plunged downward almost vertically. 'It's a tragedy, but it could have been worse,' said Klein, noting the proximity to a residential area.

Emergency services responded, and medical and psychological teams assisted relatives and witnesses. The French aviation investigation bureau BEA called it the most serious civil aviation incident in terms of casualties outside commercial and military flights.

Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said no such disaster involving skydiving had occurred in France in the last 30 years. The cause of the crash remains unknown. Nancy deputy prosecutor Amaury Lacote said a technical investigation has been launched.

Source: podrobno.uz