11 Die in France as Skydiving School Plane Crashes Near Nancy

A small plane carrying 11 people crashed today in northeastern France, killing all on board. The aircraft belonged to a skydiving school and was transporting a pilot, five instructors, and five trainees to a jump lesson when it suffered a technical failure and plummeted vertically to the ground. The crash occurred in the town of Tomblaine, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department near the city of Nancy, shortly after taking off from Nancy-Essey Airport.

The plane crashed onto a bike path near a shopping center and residential area, but fortunately no pedestrians on the ground were injured. Local emergency services responded quickly, and police secured the scene for investigation and cleanup. The public prosecutor's office in Nancy has launched an official technical inquiry to determine the exact cause of the fatal accident.

Yves Seguy, president of the department, indicated the plane likely experienced some form of mechanical damage while airborne before the crash. French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez and Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot announced they were traveling to the site to monitor the investigation and offer support to the victims' families.