11 Killed as Pilatus PC-6 Skydive Plane Crashes Near Nancy, France

Fatal Crash Near Nancy-Essey Aerodrome

Eleven people were killed Sunday, June 28, 2026, when a Pilatus PC-6 turboprop crashed shortly after takeoff from Nancy-Essey aerodrome near Tomblaine, France. The aircraft, operated by a local parachuting school on a skydiving sortie, suffered a malfunction and fell nearly vertically into a grassy area adjacent to a residential neighborhood, according to regional prefect Yves Séguy. Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez confirmed the death toll, saying the plane fell abruptly from the sky within minutes of departure.

The 11 victims included the pilot and 10 skydivers — five instructors and five students. A source close to the investigation told AFP that the student jumpers were self-employed nurses taking part in their first skydive. Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot described the accident as the most serious skydiving-related aviation disaster in France in roughly 30 years.

Technical Investigation Focuses on Loss of Control

The Paris public prosecutor's office and the Air Transport Gendarmerie (GTA) are leading the judicial inquiry, while the Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (BEA) has opened a parallel technical safety investigation. Preliminary analysis of ADS-B flight-tracking data — highlighted by aviation analyst Juan Browne of the blancolirio channel — shows the aircraft drifting slightly left of the runway centerline before executing a sharp left turn and descending rapidly. That flight profile is consistent with a loss of control (LOC) event during the critical low-altitude, high-weight phase immediately after takeoff. Investigators are reviewing witness video and onboard camera footage to determine whether an engine failure or flight control malfunction triggered the accident.