Two French Air Force jets, part of the Patrouille de France aerobatic team, collided during a training exercise in Saint-Dizier, France and subsequently crashed. The incident occurred on a day when the team was scheduled to conduct daily training exercises in the area, as announced by the local authorities last week.
Fortunately, the accident appears to have had a relatively minor outcome. The two pilots and one passenger on board managed to eject safely, with all three being conscious when found by rescue teams. Two of the individuals were taken to a hospital for treatment, while the third is receiving medical attention from the military due to a trauma.
One of the aircraft crashed into a silo and ignited a small fire, which did not have significant consequences. This incident serves as a reminder of the potential risks involved in aerobatic performances and training exercises.
In the past, such incidents have had more severe outcomes. A similar accident involving the Italian Frecce Tricolori in Ramstein, Germany, in 1988 resulted in 70 fatalities and over 1,000 injuries. In response, Germany banned such performances for three years. The Patrouille de France was the first aerobatic team to be allowed to fly again in Germany, at the International Air and Space Exhibition in Berlin in 2000.