Two Patrouille de France Jets Collide, No Fatalities

A passenger was among three who ejected.

Screenshot/AFP

Two pilots and a passenger are recovering in the hospital after two Alpha Jets in the Patrouille de France air demonstration team collided during training at an airport in eastern France on Tuesday. All three ejected. The nature and seriousness of their injuries has not been released. Their identities have not been released and the nature of the passenger's participation in the flight is unclear. The collision occurred after a six-ship looping maneuver that was supposed to end in a downward split. The collision occurred during the split.

The crash rained debris down on an industrial area in Saint-Dizier. One plane hit a business, starting a fire, and another crashed into a canal. No injuries were reported on the ground. The crash occurred near a French air force base known as Air Base 113.

Russ Niles is Editor-in-Chief of AVweb. He has been a pilot for 30 years and joined AVweb 22 years ago. He and his wife Marni live in southern British Columbia where they also operate a small winery.