Eleven people have been killed after a skydiving plane crashed in the south of France, prompting an offer of support from the United Kingdom’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). The accident occurred near the town of Carcassonne on Sunday afternoon, according to French civil aviation authorities.
The aircraft, a Pilatus PC-6 Porter, was carrying eight parachutists and two pilots on what was intended as a routine drop over the Aude region. Witnesses described seeing the plane spiral out of control before it struck a field. All eleven on board were killed instantly. No casualties have been reported on the ground.
The AAIB has offered an independent review of the crash, a senior British official confirmed. The offer was communicated through diplomatic channels and is pending a formal request from France’s Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA). The BEA has not yet commented on whether it will accept the assistance. Such cross-border cooperation is standard under international aviation protocols, particularly when lessons may be relevant to UK-registered aircraft or operators.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his condolences in a statement, calling the incident a “terrible tragedy”. The mayor of Carcassonne, Gérard Larrat, said the town was in mourning. “We have lost young people full of life,” he told reporters. “Our thoughts are with their families.”
The Pilatus PC-6 Porter is a single-engine utility aircraft known for its short take-off and landing capabilities. It is widely used for skydiving operations in Europe. Preliminary reports suggest the aircraft may have experienced a mechanical failure, but investigations are at an early stage. The BEA has dispatched a team of investigators to the crash site.
The accident has raised questions about safety protocols in the skydiving industry. French authorities said they would review regulations governing such flights in the coming weeks. The UK’s involvement, if accepted, would add an external dimension to the inquiry. The AAIB has a reputation for rigorous analysis and has previously contributed to investigations in Europe and beyond.
This is the deadliest aviation accident in France since 2015, when a Germanwings flight was deliberately crashed in the Alps, killing 150 people. For the skydiving community, it represents a rare but catastrophic event. The French Parachuting Federation has suspended all affiliated flights pending further guidance.
British Foreign Office officials are liaising with French authorities to establish whether any British nationals were among the victims. None have been identified so far. The families of the deceased are being informed through the French judicial process.
As the investigation proceeds, the offer from the AAIB underscores the collaborative nature of modern aviation safety. France has yet to formally respond, but the gesture has been welcomed by aviation analysts as an example of how shared expertise can strengthen air safety standards across jurisdictions.
