What happened
During a scheduled training mission departing from Evreux Airbase, an aircraft was flying as part of a formation that included five other similar planes. While navigating through adverse weather conditions, the aircraft experienced a loss of control. The plane subsequently crashed within the Ecouves forest, situated approximately 11 km north of Alençon.
The impact resulted in the total destruction of the airframe. There were 15 fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft, with no survivors reported from the crew or passengers on board.
Findings
- The accident occurred while the aircraft was in the cruise phase of flight.
- The presence of poor weather conditions at the time of the incident is noted as a significant factor during the flight sequence.