Eight investigators present at the scene of the accident, the surviving pilot questioned

Eight investigators went to the scene of the accident between the two Rafales that occurred in Meurthe-et-Moselle on Wednesday, August 14, which left two dead, franceinfo learned on Thursday from a source close to the case. In this case, two investigations have been opened to try to find out more about the accident.

An administrative investigation is being conducted by the BEA-E, the Bureau of Accident Investigations for State Aviation Safety. The other, judicial, was opened by the Metz prosecutor – competent for military cases in eastern France – for “involuntary manslaughter” and “destruction of an aircraft by a captain”. Its aim is to determine the sequence, circumstances and causes of the accident (failure, piloting problem, weather, etc.) and to establish any possible criminal liability.

According to information from franceinfo, investigators have already been able to question the surviving pilot for the first time, who was slightly injured after ejecting from the Rafale where he was. Other hearings will take place, in particular those of witnesses who say they saw the collision between the two planes in the sky.

The rest of the procedure includes classic observations, particularly concerning the numerous debris in the forest. The scene must also be mapped with a drone. Investigators from the Air Gendarmerie’s research section will also and above all have to find the flight recorders, the “black boxes”, to establish the trajectories of the two devices and access the recording of the conversations on board. The aim is to find out if it was a piloting accident or if there could have been negligence such as a technical failure of one of the devices.