A single-engine skydiving plane carrying 11 people crashed near Nancy, France, on June 28, 2026, killing everyone aboard in what authorities have called the deadliest general aviation accident in the nation’s history, excluding military and commercial flights. The Pilatus PC-6 went down less than a minute after takeoff from Nancy-Essey Airfield, falling nearly vertically to the ground about 300 meters from the runway in the town of Tomblaine, near a residential neighborhood and shopping center.

Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said the crash represented France’s worst skydiving aviation accident in roughly 30 years. The victims included five skydiving instructors, five first-time jumpers, and the pilot of the 1991 aircraft, which was registered in Germany and operated by skydiving company Tandemotion Parachutisme.

Nurses Among the First-Time Skydivers

Five of the victims were nurses who had planned the tandem skydiving experience together as a way to relieve stress. Thierry Pechey, head of Meurthe-et-Moselle’s nursing council, said the coworkers had arranged their inaugural tandem skydiving experience as a stress-relieving activity during the challenging period of intense summer heat. The jumps were meant to pair each first-time participant with an instructor for the descent.

Family members and friends had gathered at the airfield to watch the experience, only to witness the aircraft plummet from the sky moments after it lifted off at approximately 11 a.m. local time. French interior minister Laurent Nunez, who traveled to the crash site, said, “Some of the victims’ families witnessed the aircraft falling with their own eyes. So there is tremendous emotion and an even greater psychological trauma.” Medical and psychological support teams were deployed to assist relatives and witnesses.

Engine Noise Cut Out Before Impact

Resident John Curaku said he was in his yard when the engine noise cut out abruptly, followed almost instantly by a loud bang. He went to the crash site and found two bodies that had been thrown several meters from the plane. Another unidentified witness told reporters the engine appeared to simply stop while the plane was climbing, with no visible fire, explosion, or other external warning sign before the impact.

Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft banked to the left after lifting off before dropping to the ground. One unnamed witness told reporters he was driving past when he saw the plane veering to the right, immediately sensing something was wrong — though flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft banked to the left after takeoff. He did not see the crash itself due to an embankment along the road, but heard it, and when he reached the scene, he attempted to help extinguish the burning wreckage.

The wreckage caught fire on impact and was subsequently cordoned off by police. Authorities set up gazebos to cover the remains of the white aircraft while investigators and first responders worked the scene.

Investigation Under Way Into Cause of Malfunction

Yves Séguy, prefect of the Meurthe-et-Moselle region, confirmed that the aircraft appeared to suffer a malfunction before dropping nearly straight down toward the ground. François Pelissier, president of the Nancy-Tomblaine aerodrome, told BFM-TV that the pilot was experienced and appeared to have attempted a turn before the plane went down. Pelissier said the aircraft had already completed five flights that morning before the fatal takeoff.

He stressed how narrowly the crash had avoided an even wider disaster, noting that the plane came to rest within meters of a densely populated area. Officials said that had the trajectory shifted even slightly, there could have been casualties on the ground as well.

The Paris prosecutor’s office has taken the lead on the investigation, and Nunez declined to offer any theory about the cause ahead of official findings. Tomblaine mayor Hervé Feron echoed that caution, saying the plane had fallen from the sky in a manner that currently defied explanation and that it was premature to conclude. He acknowledged that the extreme heat gripping the region could have been a factor — or could have played no role at all.

A Historic and Devastating Loss

The timing of the crash coincided with a severe heatwave across France, and authorities noted that the highest temperature ever recorded in Nancy had occurred just one day before the accident. Whether the scorching conditions contributed to whatever caused the malfunction remains unclear, and officials say that question will be part of the broader investigation.

Chaynesse Khirouni, president of the eastern department of Meurthe-et-Moselle, described the psychological damage suffered by those who witnessed the crash as profound. Nancy mayor Mathieu Klein said some of the victims had perished in full view of their loved ones, a reality that officials said made an already devastating event even harder to process. Authorities confirmed they were continuing to collect witness statements as the investigation moved forward.