What we know about the accident between two Rafales in Meurthe-et-Moselle

Two pilots, a student and his instructor, are missing, while a third, who was able to eject, is safe.

Two Rafale planes collided on Wednesday, August 14 at around 12:30 p.m., southwest of Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle). Two pilots, a student and his instructor, are missing while a third, who was able to eject, is safe and sound. The cause of the accident has not been revealed. Franceinfo looks back at the circumstances of this accident.

A collision between two fighter planes

Two fighter jets from the Rafale transformation squadron at the Saint-Dizier air base (Haute-Marne) collided Wednesday at midday, a spokesperson for the Air and Space Force in Paris told AFP. The accident occurred “in the Colombey-les-Belles area”southwest of Nancy, according to the prefecture of Meurthe-et-Moselle.

These two Rafales were returning from a resupply mission in Germany, the army said 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.

One pilot rescued, two others missing

The pilot of one of the two planes ejected before impact and is out of danger, according to the Air Force spokesman. He is “unharmed”also assures the army on X. According to information from France Bleu Sud Lorraine, he was transported to the Toul hospital.

However, the instructor and the student pilot who were in the second aircraft were still missing in the afternoon, according to the army. All the pilots concerned are of French nationality. Ukrainian pilots are currently being trained in France, but at the Cazaux base (Gironde), and only on Alpha-Jet fighters.

Significant research resources deployed

Significant search resources are being deployed to find the two missing pilots. “The departmental operational center was immediately activated and the Sater plan [sauvetage aéroterrestre] engaged in support of military forces”the prefecture announced in a press release. The Sater plan is a rescue plan to search for and locate planes or helicopters in distress.

The departmental gendarmerie group, the departmental fire and rescue service, the National Forestry Office and the National Federation of Radio Amateurs in the Service of Civil Security (Adrasec) are participating in the operations. On X, the prefecture adds that a call for testimonies number has been set up for people who were witnesses “of elements that could help the authorities”. It is 09 70 80 90 40.

“Thanks to our armed forces and the gendarmes mobilized in the searches and to secure the area”wrote on the same social network the resigning Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu.

The cause of the accident has not been disclosed.

The authorities have not yet released any information on the circumstances of the accident. “Security and judicial investigations are open” to shed light on the reasons for the collision, the army said on X. “The military authority will communicate on the causes of the accident”the prefecture also assured.

The investigation will have to establish whether there was “an excessive risk-taking” during this flight, but accidents, “There will always be, simply because to be good, you have to train, take risks, fly close to each other”estimates on franceinfo Vincent Desportes, former director of the War School. “We cannot hope to have extremely efficient training if there is no risk-taking, and unfortunately sometimes a few accidents.”

Accidents involving Rafales are nevertheless relatively rare. On December 7, 2007, an unarmed Rafale crashed near Neuvic (Corrèze), after a 4,000-meter nose-dive. The investigation concluded that there was a phenomenon of “spatial disorientation” of the pilot. On September 24, 2009, an accident between two planes occurred as they were preparing to join the aircraft carrier Charles-de-Gaulle, at the end of a training flight and a maximum weight catapult test. One of the pilots died in the accident.