Eleven Dead in Small Plane Crash Near Nancy in Eastern France

Victims and Identification

As the prefecture announced, the eleven dead were the pilot as well as five students and five instructors of a skydiving school to which the aircraft belonged. «The pilot and all ten passengers – five students and five instructors – lost their lives in the accident», the authorities said. For all eleven people on board, any help came too late.

According to information from the regional newspaper L'Est républicain, the planned flight was reportedly a so-called «tandem flight». In this type of introductory flight as part of a taster course, caregivers or other guests typically sit on board together with the instructors. «Accordingly, a so-called «tandem flight» had apparently been organized, in which both caregivers and instructors are said to have been on board», it was said.

Indications of a «Tandem Flight»

As the president of the regional association of liberal care services in Meurthe-et-Moselle explained, some of the victims may have been self-employed caregivers. The regional newspaper L'Est républicain reported that there may have been additional people on board, three of whom managed to save themselves. This information could not initially be independently confirmed.

Immediately after the crash, a major operation involving police, fire department, and rescue services got underway. According to the authorities, the area around the accident site in Tomblaine was cordoned off over a wide perimeter. «Police called on the public to avoid the area around Salvador Allende Street so as not to hinder the operation», it was said. Residents were urged to avoid the area without fail «to allow the rescue services and law enforcement free access».

Rescue Operation

As the rescue services reported, there was also an increased risk of explosion at the wreckage. Around 50 firefighters secured the scene on site. Doctors and psychologists at the nearby airfield looked after relatives of the victims as well as witnesses to the accident. According to media reports, power outages also occurred in the vicinity of the crash site.

According to his ministry, France's Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez was on his way to the accident site. The public prosecutor's office has also opened an investigation into the cause of the crash. French police opened an investigation into the cause of the crash. The aim of the investigations is to reconstruct the exact sequence of the crash.

Political and Legal Reactions

The Pilatus PC-6 is a single-engine low-wing aircraft used in civil aviation primarily for training and skydiving flights. The small plane, registered in Germany, took off from the Nancy-Essey airfield on Sunday morning, according to the prefecture of Meurthe-et-Moselle. The aircraft crashed in Tomblaine onto a street near a supermarket.

According to the authorities in Tomblaine, the victims are the pilot and ten members of a skydiving school. Among the passengers, according to French media, were five skydiving instructors and five participants of a taster course. For the five students, it would have been their first skydive, according to the authorities.

The APA agency reported the accident on June 28, 2026, citing the authorities. The broadcaster Deutschlandfunk also reported on it on 28.06.2026 in its programming. A wide security perimeter was set up around the crash site. Numerous firefighters and rescue personnel remain deployed at the accident site to continue the recovery operations.

The prefect of Meurthe-et-Moselle confirmed eleven deaths, among them, according to reports, possibly the pilot, five flight instructors, and five course participants. Seguy said the aircraft had «suddenly crashed» after takeoff. An initial press conference by the prefecture on Sunday provided initial details on the sequence of events. The cause of the accident is currently still unclear.

Investigation into the Cause of the Accident

The Pilatus aircraft belonged to a skydiving school, according to agency reports. It involved the pilot and two groups of five skydivers each. There were a total of eleven people on board: the pilot and ten passengers.

The crash site is located in the suburb of Tomblaine, in the eastern Meurthe-et-Moselle department, near Nancy. The area is predominantly characterized by residential development. The swift response of the rescue services prevented further damage. The authorities are asking the public to give the accident site a wide berth.

The regional tabloid L'Est républicain continued covering the case in its live blog, pointing to the wealth of eyewitness accounts from the adjacent residential area. According to the prefecture, the accident site continues to be guarded by a large contingent of police and firefighters, while specialists from the air accident investigation unit secure the wreckage.