Ubisoft Co-Founder, Flight Instructor Killed in Cessna 421 Crash in France

Two people were killed Friday evening, June 19, 2026, when a Cessna 421B Golden Eagle — registration F-GUST — crashed during final approach to La Baule-Escoublac aerodrome (LFRE) in the Loire-Atlantique department of western France. The aircraft, which had departed from Rennes, went down in a wheat field near the village of La Bosse, several kilometers short of the runway. Post-impact fire destroyed the aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network and France's Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (BEA).

The victims were identified as Claude Guillemot, a co-founder of global video game publisher Ubisoft, and a flight instructor who also owned the aircraft. The two were reportedly en route to attend a fly-in event at the local airfield, according to reports citing the Associated Press.

Investigation Underway

The BEA has opened a formal investigation into the accident; no preliminary report on probable cause has been released. The Cessna 421 is a high-performance, pressurized twin-engine piston aircraft widely used for private and business travel. The type has faced recent scrutiny following a separate April 2026 fatal crash in Texas, in which the NTSB is examining possible icing conditions and instrument failure aboard a Cessna 421C.