French investigators probe fatal skydiving plane crash that killed pilot and 10 parachutists

A level carrying participants successful a skydiving activity collapsed soon aft takeoff successful northeastern France connected Sunday, sidesplitting each 11 group aboard, authorities said.

The Meurthe-et-Moselle Prefecture said connected X that nan craft collapsed aft departing from Nancy-Essey Airport, prompting officials to activate nan department's operational bid center.

The Associated Press reported nan victims included 5 parachuting instructors, 5 novice jumpers preparing for tandem skydives and nan pilot.

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A skydiver exits a single-engine craft during a jump successful an undated record photo. Authorities said 11 group were killed aft a skydiving level collapsed soon aft takeoff successful northeastern France connected Sunday. (iStock)

Prefect Yves Séguy told reporters nan aircraft suffered a malfunction and "fell almost vertically," narrowly missing a populated area.

"Had it occurred conscionable a fewer twelve meters away, nan mishap could person caused collateral casualties," Séguy said.

Flight search information from Flightradar24 showed nan single-engine Pilatus PC-6 banked near soon aft takeoff earlier crashing little than a infinitesimal later adjacent residential homes, astir 300 yards from nan runway.

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

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said he traveled to nan clang tract pinch Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot, wherever they met pinch section officials and emergency responders.

Nunez wrote connected X that he felt "immense emotion" while gathering pinch section officials and praised nan coordinated consequence of firefighters, emergency personnel, police, gendarmerie and civilian information teams.

He said a medico-psychological emergency portion was activated soon aft nan clang to support victims' loved ones and those who witnessed nan tragedy. Some family members waiting astatine nan airdrome witnessed nan crash, according to officials.

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

Nunez added that nan investigation, directed by nan Paris prosecutor's agency and assigned to nan Air Transport Gendarmerie's investigative unit, will find nan origin of nan crash.

Tabarot described nan incident arsenic a "terrible tragedy" and extended his condolences to nan victims' families earlier walking to nan segment alongside Nunez.

In a later station connected X, Tabarot said investigators from France's Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses had visited nan clang tract and opened an investigation to find nan precise circumstances of nan accident. He besides described nan clang arsenic France's deadliest aviation mishap involving a skydiving formation successful astir 30 years.

The parachutists were preparing for tandem jumps, successful which novice participants are harnessed to knowledgeable instructors for nan descent.

French broadcaster BFM-TV said pinch a section resident who said he heard what sounded for illustration nan aircraft's motor stopping earlier a large impact. When he reached nan clang site, he said location were nary signs of life.

Sunday's calamity came conscionable weeks aft different deadly skydiving level crash successful nan U.S. that killed 12 group astir 65 miles extracurricular Kansas City, Missouri.

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In that crash, nan craft was carrying 11 skydivers and a pilot. Many of nan passengers were preparing for tandem jumps and were inexperienced first-time skydivers, officials said. Some family members waiting astatine nan airdrome besides witnessed nan crash.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.