French Mirage 2000D Fighter Jet Crashes, Pilot Killed

A French Air Force Mirage 2000D fighter jet has crashed during a training exercise in northeastern France, killing the pilot. The aircraft’s navigator remains missing, France’s Armed Forces Ministry said on Wednesday (October 21).

According to French broadcaster BFMTV, the fighter jet, operated from the Nancy-Ochey Air Base, crashed late Tuesday night in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department, near the city of Nancy.

Two crew members were aboard the aircraft: a pilot and a navigator. Authorities have confirmed the pilot’s death, while search operations are continuing for the missing navigator.

The crash occurred at around 11:35 p.m. local time on Tuesday in an area between the villages of Rosières, Domèvre-en-Haye, and Tremblecourt, north of Nancy.

Henri Lemoine, mayor of the nearby town of Pont-à-Mousson, said a large number of police officers and firefighters had been deployed to the crash site.

In a statement posted on Facebook, he said the wreckage of the fighter jet had been located with the assistance of a drone. However, authorities have not released further details as emergency response operations remain underway.

A coordination centre has been established in Rosières to manage the response to the crash. Local authorities have also warned that traffic disruptions may occur in surrounding areas.