Families watch in horror as skydiving plane crashes in France, killing all 11 aboard

Families watched successful scary arsenic a skydiving level collapsed successful France moments aft takeoff Sunday, sidesplitting each 11 group aboard, according to French officials.

The single-engine Pilatus PC-6 collapsed soon aft taking disconnected from nan Nancy-Essey Airfield adjacent nan metropolis of Nancy successful northeastern France. Officials said nan victims included 5 skydiving instructors, 5 first-time jumpers and nan pilot.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said immoderate victims' relatives watched nan craft autumn from nan sky.

"Some of nan victims' families witnessed nan craft falling pinch their ain eyes," Nuñez said. "So location is tremendous emotion and an moreover greater psychological trauma."

MISSOURI SKYDIVING PLANE CRASH THAT KILLED ALL 12 ABOARD IS A 'DEVASTATING LOSS,' COMPANY SAYS

Police serviceman stands adjacent nan tract wherever a skydiving level collapsed successful Tomblaine northeastern France, sidesplitting each 11 group connected board, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonin Utz)

Meurthe-et-Moselle Prefect Yves Séguy said nan craft suffered an evident malfunction and "fell almost vertically," narrowly missing a populated area aft crashing astir 300 yards from nan runway.

Flight-tracking information from Flightradar24 showed nan craft banked near aft takeoff earlier disappearing from radar little than a infinitesimal into nan flight.

France's Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), nan country's aviation mishap investigation agency, said connected X that it had opened a safety investigation into nan clang involving nan Pilatus PC-6. The agency said 4 investigators and 1 first-response interrogator were dispatched to nan scene.

MISSOURI SKYDIVING PLANE CRASH THAT KILLED ALL 12 ABOARD IS A 'DEVASTATING LOSS,' COMPANY SAYS

Forensic technicians analyse a skydiving level that collapsed successful Tomblaine northeastern France, sidesplitting each 11 group connected board, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonin Utz)

Authorities person not wished what caused nan crash, and officials cautioned that it is excessively early to estimate while investigators analyse nan wreckage.

Nancy Mayor Mathieu Klein called nan clang "an immense daze that has plunged nan Greater Nancy area into mourning" successful a Facebook post, offering condolences to nan victims' families and those who witnessed nan tragedy.

Forensic technicians analyse a skydiving level that collapsed successful Tomblaine northeastern France, sidesplitting each 11 group connected board, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Antonin Utz)

Klein said he visited nan clang tract alongside location officials and praised nan "remarkable professionalism and commitment" of rescue, aesculapian and information personnel. He besides announced that Greater Nancy would unfastened a gathering abstraction astatine Marcel Picot Stadium wherever residents could salary their respects and show solidarity pinch nan victims' families.

MISSOURI SKYDIVING PLANE CRASH THAT KILLED ALL 12 ABOARD IS A 'DEVASTATING LOSS,' COMPANY SAYS

The Meurthe-et-Moselle prefecture said it activated a nationalist accusation halfway Sunday day to assistance victims' families and said nan hotline would reopen Monday greeting arsenic betterment efforts and nan investigation continue.

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Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot described nan clang arsenic nan country's deadliest skydiving aviation accident successful astir 3 decades.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.