A French Air Force Mirage 2000D fighter jet crashed near Nancy-Ochey Air Base in the northeast of the country during a nighttime training mission. The crash resulted in at least one pilot's death, while authorities are urgently searching for another crew member who remains missing. The cause of the accident is not yet known.
The French Air Force revealed that a Mirage 2000D fighter jet crashed near Nancy-Ochey Air Base, located in the Meurthe-et-Moselle area in northeastern France, on the night of 20 October during a training flight. At least one crew member was killed, and the search continues for another missing crew member.
Colonel David Papalardo, spokesperson for the French Air Force, told Franceinfo radio that the aircraft suddenly lost radio and radar contact with the base, although communication had been normal prior to that. He also indicated that it is believed at least one crew member was unable to eject from the aircraft before the crash.
The aircraft had a two-person crew: a young trainee pilot and an experienced weapons systems officer. The Air Force has not yet released the identities of the deceased crew member found by rescue teams.
Reports state the plane was returning from a training mission around 23:00 local time and was not armed at the time of the incident. The first wreckage was found around 04:00 on 21 October.
Search and rescue teams from the Air Force, firefighters, and the French military police (Gendarmerie) have mobilized to inspect the crash site, which includes open fields and forested areas. Helicopters and local firefighters have also joined the operation.
A local official stated on Facebook that a drone was able to locate the wreckage, and emergency personnel have reached the crash site. The Air Force said the accident is a rare event and the search operation is complex but under control.
Colonel Papalardo said it is too early to determine the cause of the accident. A criminal investigation has been launched to find the cause and sequence of events leading to the crash. The inquiry is assigned to the French Air Force military police investigators.
The crashed aircraft belongs to Fighter Squadron 2/3 Champagne based at Nancy-Ochey Air Base. The Mirage 2000D is a two-seat fighter jet that entered service in 1993, capable of missions involving a pilot and a weapons systems officer.
France has used this aircraft model in military operations in various regions, including Kosovo in 1999, Libya in 2011, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and the Sahel region in Africa.
Previously, the Mirage 2000D has had several accidents. In January 2019, both crew members died in a crash during a low-level night flight in eastern France. In July 2021, the crew of a similar aircraft ejected safely after a crash near Nancy.
Recently, France completed an upgrade program for the Mirage 2000D fleet and plans to keep using the aircraft into the 2030s. Authorities continue the search for the missing crew member and investigation into the latest crash's cause.