An aircraft carrying skydivers crashed in eastern France on Sunday, killing all eleven people on board, according to local authorities. The plane, a Pilatus PC-12, went down near the town of Bollène in the Drôme department shortly after takeoff from the Valence-Chabeuil aerodrome. The victims included eight skydivers and three crew members, said the prefecture of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region.
An investigation has been opened by the French air safety agency, the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA), to determine the cause of the crash. Witnesses reported hearing a loud explosion before the aircraft plummeted into a wooded area, triggering a fire that consumed the wreckage. Emergency services and gendarmerie were dispatched, but no survivors were found.
The plane was operated by a local skydiving club. The French transport minister expressed condolences and said a crisis unit had been established. This is the deadliest aviation accident in France since the crash of a Germanwings aircraft in the Alps in 2015.
The BEA will deploy a team of investigators to the site, focusing on possible mechanical failure or human error. The aircraft's flight data and cockpit voice recorders are being sought. The skydiving community has been left in shock, with tributes pouring in for the victims.
The investigation is expected to take several months. Further updates will follow as details emerge.
