The key facts
- The Mirage 2000D crashed at around 23:35 local time between the villages of Rogéville, Domèvre-en-Haye and Tremblecourt north of Nancy
- The pilot was killed, the navigator is missing, and the search operation is ongoing
- A judicial investigation into the causes of the crash has been opened
Fighter jet crash
A Mirage 2000D fighter jet of the French Air Force crashed during a training flight in the north-east of the country. According to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, as reported by the Anadolu agency, the pilot was killed, while the navigator is listed as missing — the search for him continues. According to BFMTV, the aircraft had taken off from the Nancy-Ochey airbase and crashed late in the evening on Tuesday, October 20, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department near Nancy.
Location and circumstances
The crash occurred at around 23:35 local time (21:35 GMT) in the area between the villages of Rogéville, Domèvre-en-Haye and Tremblecourt north of Nancy. The crew consisted of two people — a pilot and a navigator.
Search and rescue operation
The mayor of the nearby Pont-à-Mousson, Henri Lemoine, said on Facebook that significant police and fire brigade forces had been dispatched to the crash site. The aircraft's wreckage was located with the help of a drone, but the authorities have not yet provided details, as emergency work is ongoing. A crisis coordination centre has been set up in Rogéville, and local authorities have warned of possible transport restrictions in the surrounding area. The radio station Franceinfo, cited by Gazeta.Ru, reports that the remains of one of the crew members have been found at the site, and helicopters, firefighters, the gendarmerie and military specialists are involved in the search and rescue operation.
Investigation
A judicial investigation has been opened to establish the circumstances and causes of the crash.
Another crash in the region
Gazeta.Ru also recalls another incident that previously occurred in the same region: eleven people died in the crash of a Pilatus aircraft, often used for parachute jumps, in Tomblaine — a suburb of Nancy — among them an experienced pilot, five instructors and five people who were about to make their first parachute jump in tandem with an instructor.
