What happened
During an early morning mission, a four-engine aircraft performed a positioning flight from Marseille-Marignane to Aubenas-Vals-Lanas Airport in the Ardeche region. The flight crew had been briefed regarding an active forest fire located approximately 15 km northwest of Aubenas, near Burzet. Following the briefing, the aircraft departed Aubenas alongside two Canadair CL-415 units, operating under the callsign 'Tanker 82', to assist with firefighting efforts.
After the successful completion of an initial water drop, the aircraft attempted a second low-altitude pass over the fire zone. During this maneuver, the aircraft made contact with trees and crashed into the hilly landscape. The accident resulted in two fatalities and two serious injuries among the crew members on board.