Skydiving plane crashes in France, killing 11

A skydiving plane crashed in northeastern France on Sunday, killing all 11 people aboard in what officials are calling the country's biggest aviation accident involving skydiving in approximately 30 years. The aircraft, carrying five instructors, five novice jumpers, and the pilot, plummeted to the ground shortly after taking off from the Nancy-Essey airfield.

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Some of the victims’ families witnessed the aircraft falling with their own eyes. So there is tremendous emotion and an even greater psychological trauma.

Families of the victims watched in horror as the plane fell from the sky. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the scene as one of "tremendous emotion and even greater psychological trauma" for the relatives. He confirmed the plane experienced a sudden drop and fell almost vertically, narrowly missing a populated area.

Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot highlighted the severity of the accident, noting it was the largest skydiving-related aviation incident in France in about three decades. Yves Séguy, the prefect of the Meurthe-et-Moselle region, stated the plane suffered a malfunction. According to flight tracking data, the plane banked left after takeoff and crashed less than a minute later, near residential areas.

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it was France’s biggest aviation accident involving skydiving in about 30 years.

Emergency services responded swiftly, providing psychological support to the victims' families. The Paris prosecutor's office is leading the investigation into the crash. A local resident reported hearing a plane's engine cut out, followed by a loud bang, and found no signs of life at the crash site.

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the plane suffered a malfunction and “fell almost vertically,” narrowly missing a built-up area.