Two French pilots have died in an aerial accident that occurred on a Wednesday, involving two aircraft from the French Army. The incident happened in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in the eastern part of the country as the crews were returning from a mission to refuel over Germany.
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, confirmed the tragedy and said that the nation shares the grief of the families and the brothers and sisters in arms at Base Aérienne 113 in Saint-Dizier. He named Captain Sébastien Mabire and Lieutenant Matthis Laurens, noting that both lost their lives during a training mission involving Rafale aircraft.
The French Air Force reported that the accident occurred around 12:30 p.m. local time when two Rafale jets collided while returning from a refueling mission over Germany. A third pilot, who was piloting another aircraft, managed to eject and survived without injuries.
Investigations are underway to determine the legal and safety factors that led to the crash, as officials said. In a public statement shared on the social platform X, authorities extended their condolences to the loved ones of the fallen airmen and pledged a full review of the circumstances surrounding the incident.