French Mirage 2000D fighter jet crashes during training, killing two crew
A French Mirage 2000D fighter jet crashed near Nancy during a training flight, resulting in the deaths of both crew members, the air force said.
On Tuesday night, a French Mirage 2000D fighter jet crashed during a training flight near Nancy, northeastern France, killing both crew members, officials announced on Wednesday. The plane struck the ground at 2100 GMT when it was flying on instruments as part of the tactical phase of the exercise. Neither the pilot, aged 27, nor the 44-year-old navigator had time to deploy their ejection seats, as found at the crash site, Metz prosecutor David Touvet told AFP.
President Emmanuel Macron expressed condolences for the loss of life during a press briefing in Doha, where he is on a visit. The highly experienced navigator and the young pilot, who had 450 flight hours and was in the process of qualifying as an operational combat pilot, both perished in the impact. Given the violence of the collision, forensic DNA analyses to identify the victims may take several weeks.
Air base commander Ludovic Humbert stated that the crew consisted of a seasoned navigator and the new pilot. The pilot was unable to eject as there was no radio or radar contact with air traffic control at the end of the training mission, as reported by Colonel David Pappalardo, spokesman for the Air and Space Force (AAE). Neighbors witnessed a loud bang similar to an aircraft breaking the sound barrier but did not see the plane crash, which occurred in a wooded area.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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