What was meant to be a stunning showcase of aerial precision quickly turned into a devastating tragedy. Yesterday afternoon, two French Air Force jets collided mid-air during a rehearsal over Saint-Dizier, eastern France, leaving spectators in shock.
The dramatic accident unfolded as six Alpha Jets from the Patrouille de France, the nation’s elite aerobatic team, were performing a drill. Spectators watching the training exercise saw the jets carving through the sky, trailing smoke, when suddenly, disaster struck. Two aircraft clipped each other, sending both plummeting towards the ground in a fiery descent.
A Miraculous Escape
Despite the catastrophic collision, all three people onboard the aircraft, two pilots and a passenger, managed to eject. French Air and Space Force officials confirmed that they were found conscious. Two were rushed to hospital in a ‘relative emergency’ condition, while the third, suffering from multiple trauma injuries, is receiving treatment from the Army.
A Near Miss for Civilians
The crash could have been even more disastrous. One of the jets smashed into a silo at the Calin concrete company, igniting a fire. The second plane crashed into a nearby canal. Emergency services, including firefighters and paramedics, rushed to the scene to contain the blaze and assess the wreckage. Fortunately, no civilians were harmed.
Eyewitnesses described the terrifying moment the collision occurred. A worker at a local dealership recalled watching the aerial display for about 15 minutes before hearing a deafening bang and feeling the ground shake beneath them. “We looked up, and debris was falling from the sky,” they told Puissance Télévision. “The pilot landed just 50 metres from our compound. Firefighters got to him immediately.”
Authorities Respond
France’s Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, confirmed the accident on X (formerly Twitter), stating that emergency teams were fully mobilised. Officials also activated the Sater Plan, a rapid response system designed to search for downed military or civilian aircraft. Air Force helicopters have been scouring the area for debris.
Saint-Dizier’s Mayor, Quentin Brière, visited the crash site, urging locals to stay calm. He praised the pilots’ skill, suggesting their quick thinking helped avoid civilian casualties.
The city had announced just last week that the French Aerobatic Patrol would be conducting training exercises throughout the week, including a nighttime drill scheduled for this evening. It remains unclear whether this will go ahead following today’s tragic incident.
A Grim Reminder
This is not the first time France’s air force has suffered a fatal mid-air collision. In August 2024, two pilots tragically lost their lives when their Rafale jets collided in eastern France. Today’s accident serves as yet another stark reminder of the immense risks military pilots take, even in training.
France has been using the lightweight Alpha Jet to train Ukrainian pilots following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The aircraft has long been a staple of the nation’s military training programmes, but after today’s accident, questions may arise about the safety of these high-speed drills.
For now, emergency teams continue to assess the wreckage, and investigators will be working to determine exactly what went wrong in the skies over Saint-Dizier.
