What happened
On the afternoon of the accident, a twin engine airplane departed from Nîmes-Garons Airport at 16:48 local time. The aircraft was performing a specialized firefighting mission targeting an area near the village of Générac, situated approximately 5 km southwest of the airfield.
As the pilot approached the designated treatment zone, the aircraft collided with trees and subsequently crashed. The impact and a following post-crash fire resulted in the total destruction of the airframe. The pilot, who was the only person on board, sustained fatal injuries in the accident.
Findings
At the time of the collision, the operational environment was characterized by reduced visibility caused by heavy smoke in the area. The aircraft struck the vegetation while maneuvering through these obscured conditions.