Tragic Mid-Air Collision Between Two French Jets Kills 2

A devastating mid-air collision occurred on Wednesday between two French Dassault Rafale jets, resulting in the loss of two lives.

The incident happened at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time over German airspace, during a routine aerial refueling training mission.

According to reports, a two-seater Rafale B aircraft carrying a student and instructor pilot crashed, tragically claiming the lives of both crew members.

“An accident involving two Rafale from the Rafale 3/4 ‘Aquitaine’ Transformation Squadron occurred in Meurthe et Moselle,” French defence minister Sébastien Lecornu said on X.

Meanwhile, a third pilot flying a single-seat Rafale C jet was able to eject safely and has been recovered with minor injuries.

“One of the pilots was found, he is safe and sound. The search is still ongoing. Thanks to our armed forces and the gendarmes mobilized in the search and to secure the area,” he added.

Rescue operations are currently underway, with emergency services and military personnel working together to secure the crash site and investigate the cause of the collision.

A statement issued by the regional government agencies and authorities to the local media said: “Search operations for the pilots have been launched by the departmental gendarmerie group, the departmental fire and rescue service, the National Forestry Office and ADRASEC (National Federation of Radio amateurs in the service of civil security).”

The French Air and Space Force (Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace) also posted on X: “Today, around 12:30 pm, two Rafale aircraft from the Rafale transformation squadron (ETR) at air base 113 in Saint-Dizier (Haute-Marne) collided while returning from a refuelling mission in Germany. The two planes crashed near the town of Colombey-les-Belles (Meurthe-et-Moselle). So far, only one pilot has been rescued unharmed. The transformation squadron of the Rafale has the main mission of training pilots and navigators for the French armed forces.”