The headlines from France are stark. Eleven people are dead after a skydiving plane crashed in the Burgundy region on Sunday. The victims were experienced skydivers and the pilot. No one survived. As the investigation begins, the UK Civil Aviation Authority has used the tragedy to highlight its own safety record. But for families in France, and for those who work in the perilous world of aviation, this is no time for self-congratulation.
The crash involved a Pilatus PC-12 aircraft, which went down shortly after takeoff from the Saône-et-Loire region. The plane carried ten skydivers and one pilot. French authorities have opened an investigation into the cause. They are looking at weather conditions and potential mechanical failure.
Meanwhile, in London, the CAA issued a statement noting that UK general aviation safety standards are among the highest in the world. They pointed to a low accident rate and robust oversight. But this feels like a disconnect. Eleven people are dead. The focus should be on the victims, not on a press release.
In the skydiving community, safety is paramount. Every jump is calculated. Every risk is weighed. Accidents are rare, but when they happen, the impact is devastating. The families of those who died will be grappling with grief. They don't need to hear about UK statistics.
We should remember the workers who make this industry tick. The mechanics who service the planes. The instructors who train the jumpers. The pilots who fly the routes. They are all vulnerable to the same dangers. This tragedy is a reminder of the risks they take every day.
The CAA's response was likely intended to reassure the public. But in times of tragedy, empathy should come before bureaucracy. The UK's safety record is commendable, but it should not be used as a shield against the reality of what happened. Eleven families are now planning funerals.
What we need is solidarity. We need to support the French authorities in their investigation. We need to ensure that lessons are learned. And we need to honour the dead by giving them the dignity of our full attention.
The cost of living crisis means many people cannot afford the luxury of worries about skydiving safety. But this is not about luxury. It is about the lives of workers. They are not just statistics. They are people who loved their jobs, who pushed boundaries, who lived for the thrill.
We must not let this tragedy be forgotten in the noise of policy and procedure. The eleven victims deserve more than a footnote in a safety report. They deserve our compassion, our questions, and our commitment to making the skies safer.
As we watch the investigation unfold, let us keep the focus where it belongs: on the lives lost and the families left behind. The CAA can wait. The real story is the human one.
