Two military jets collide in midair stunt, crash to ground in fiery explosion
Two military jets collided midair during a stunt rehearsal in France on Tuesday before crashing to the ground and exploding in a massive fireball, dramatic video shows.
The collision caused three pilots and one passenger to eject and parachute to safety, the French Air and Space Force wrote on X.
The jets were part of a seven-aircraft team flying in coordination with the Patrouille de France (PAF), a precision aerobatics demonstration unit of the agency, near an air base in Saint-Dizier in northeastern France at around 3:40 p.m. local time.
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Video shows the seven aircraft turning in unison while emitting colored smoke, but at least two of the jets collide with one another.
The two jets then spiral towards the ground while the crew can be seen immediately ejecting and activating their parachutes. The jets crash to the ground and ignite in a fiery plume.
"At BA 113 in Saint-Dizier, two Alphajets from the Patrouille de France collided during a 7-plane training flight," the post on X reads. "The three pilots, including one passenger, were able to eject in time and are safe. There are no casualties to report at this stage in the crash zone."
Sébastien Lecornu, France's minister of the Armed Forces, also confirmed the incident and wrote on X that emergency services responded to the scene.
"Slightly injured, they were taken into care," he wrote. "Thanks to the emergency services mobilized, thoughts for our pilots of the Patrouille de France."
Quentin Brière, the mayor of Saint-Dizier, said that one of the jets crashed into a silo and the other in a marshy wooded area just behind it, according to Le Parisien, citing AFP.
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It is unclear what caused the aircraft to come together.
The Alpha Jet is a light attack and advanced trainer aircraft developed jointly by Dassault Aviation of France and Dornier of Germany in the 1970s. The jets come with two seats and are typically used for pilot training and aerobatic stunts.
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The PAF was founded in 1953 and is considered a prestigious aerobatic unit famous for its displays during the Bastille Day parades, according to the French news outlet Le Parisien. The PAF is made up of hand-picked fighter pilots and accidents are rare among the unit.