What happened
On April 26, 1998, at 10:54 UTC, two Fouga Magister CM 170 aircraft, registered F-GKYD and F-GKYE, were involved in a mid-air collision near Saint Dominelar, France. The aircraft, operated by SA Yankee Delta, had departed from Rennes St Jacques for a visual flight intended to travel between Rennes and Mont Saint Michel. The flight in F-GKYD was a joyride for a passenger, while the flight in F-GKYE was conducting a professional photographic mission for an aviation magazine.
Shortly after takeoff, the two aircraft flew north at altitudes estimated between 300 and 600 meters. The pilots were not flying within the officially designated aerobatic zone, as that area was currently under a cold front. Instead, the aircraft were performing maneuvers in unstable weather conditions characterized by rain and hail showers. Witnesses observed the two aircraft flying low and fast, circling one another, before the collision occurred.
The impact caused the tail section of F-GKYD to separate in flight, leading the aircraft to fall at a high angle of attack into the ground. The F-GKYE was also severely destabilized; it struck tree hedges before crashing into a wheat field. Both aircraft caught fire upon impact, resulting in 4 fatalities.