Eleven people have died after a skydiving plane crashed in eastern France, prompting renewed calls for a review of aviation safety protocols. The aircraft, a Pilatus PC-12, went down near the town of Saône in the Doubs department on Sunday afternoon. According to local authorities, the plane had departed from the Besançon-La Vèze aerodrome with nine skydivers and two pilots on board.
Witnesses reported seeing the aircraft spiral out of control before impacting a field near the village of Étalans, about 20 kilometers southwest of Besançon. The cause of the crash remains unclear, but investigators from the French Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) have opened a technical investigation. French transport minister Clément Beaune expressed his condolences and said the government would support the inquiry.
The incident is the deadliest in French skydiving since a crash in 2010 near the same region claimed seven lives. Aviation safety experts have noted that while general aviation in France maintains strong safety records, the skydiving sector operates under higher operational pressures. The European Association of Skydiving Instructors has called for mandatory installation of modern safety equipment, including real-time flight data monitors.
Local officials have urged the public to avoid speculation pending the BEA’s preliminary report, expected within 30 days.
