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Fatal collision between two Rafales: both pilots found dead
Fatal collision between two Rafales: both pilots found dead
(France 2)
Their names were Sébastien Mabire and Matthis Laurens: the two Rafale pilots who collided on Wednesday 14 August were found dead on Thursday 15 August. They were an instructor and his student who, for reasons that are still undetermined, did not eject in time.
They posed proudly and smiling in front of their Rafale at the beginning of the summer: Captain Sébastien Mabire, 36, an instructor with 2,000 hours of flight time under his belt, and Matthis Laurens, a 29-year-old lieutenant and fighter pilot for three years. Both died after their aircraft crashed. On a video, we can see burning debris and two plumes of smoke, after they hit another Rafale with which they were training.
The pilot of the second plane was able to eject and was found in the woods, safe and sound. For the inhabitants of the region, accustomed to living to the rhythm of fighter planes, the emotion is great. In the town, everyone knows a soldier. This morning, the flags were lowered to half-mast. The Minister of the Armed Forces visited the air base on Thursday, August 15. A judicial inquiry has been opened and another, technical, to try to identify the causes of the accident.
