A private plane, a Fouga Magister, crashed into the Mediterranean Sea on Friday during an air show near the town of Lavandou in France, authorities in the Var prefecture said. The pilot died and his body was found by authorities.
The pilot could not eject because the plane is not equipped with a system that would allow it, AFP explained. After the plane crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, a search for the pilot was launched, coordinated by the Mediterranean Regional Centre for Operational Surveillance and Rescue. His body was found a short time later.
The moment of the accident was recorded on a video that appeared on social media. It was shared by, among others, director Maxime Govare
An investigation has been launched
The plane was privately owned. An investigation has been launched into the circumstances of the accident, which occurred during an air show that was part of the 80th anniversary of the Allied landings in FranceDue to the accident, the shows were canceled.
The Fouga Magister is a collector's aircraft. Its design was created at the turn of the 1940s and 1950s. The machine was used as a trainer by the French Air Force, but in some countries the Fouga Magister was also used as a light attack aircraft after being rearmed.
The accident happened just two days after Two Rafale fighters collided in eastern France. Two pilots who were flying one of the planes and were on a “training mission” were killed. The pilot of the other plane ejected before the incident and was not hurt.
Main image source: X/@MGovare