A student and his instructor were still missing on Wednesday evening after the collision between two military planes in Meurthe-et-Moselle. A third, who was able to eject, was found safe and sound shortly after the tragedy.
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“We learned with sadness of the deaths of Captain Sébastien Mabire and Lieutenant Matthis Laurens, during an air accident during a Rafale training mission”announced Emmanuel Macron on X on Wednesday, August 14, following the accident between two Rafale planes southwest of Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle). The two soldiers were missing while a third, who was able to eject, was found safe and sound just after the tragedy.
In a press release from the Ministry of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, who will travel to Saint-Dizier (Haute-Marne) on Thursday, addressed hisit is “sincere condolences and all [son] support for families” victims, as well as “their loved ones and their brothers in arms”. “This evening, the entire Nation is grateful: we will never forget them”he added.
The cause of the accident has not been disclosed. In its press release, the Ministry of the Armed Forces gave some details on the circumstances of the searches: “The wreckage of the other two-seater Rafale was spotted later in the afternoon in the town of Harmonville (Vosges). With no news of the crew, significant resources were dispatched to the scene to help find them. The ongoing security and legal investigations will determine the causes of this accident.”
Two fighter jets from the Rafale transformation squadron at the Saint-Dizier air base collided Wednesday afternoon, a spokesman for the Air and Space Force in Paris told AFP. The accident occurred “in the Colombey-les-Belles area”specified the prefecture of Meurthe-et-Moselle. These two Rafales were returning from a resupply mission in Germany, the army specified in a message posted on X. The squadron involved “its main mission is the training of pilots and navigators for the French armed forces”adds the same source.
