French Mirage 2000D crashes during training flight, killing pilot

A French Air Force Mirage 2000D fighter jet crashed during a training flight in northeastern France, killing its pilot and leaving the navigator missing, the French Armed Forces Ministry said Wednesday, according to Anadolu Agency.

The aircraft, which was operating from Nancy-Ochey air base, went down late Tuesday in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department near Nancy, French broadcaster BFMTV reported. The crew consisted of a pilot and a navigator.

Authorities confirmed the pilot’s death, while search operations continued for the missing navigator. The crash occurred at about 11.35 pm local time (2135 GMT) in an area between the villages of Rogeville, Domevre-en-Haye and Tremblecourt, north of Nancy.

Henry Lemoine, mayor of nearby Pont-a-Mousson, said substantial police and firefighting resources had been deployed to the area.

Aircraft debris was located by a drone, but authorities had not provided further details as emergency operations continued, Lemoine said in a statement on Facebook.

A crisis coordination center was set up in Rogeville, while local authorities warned of possible traffic disruptions in the surrounding area.

A judicial investigation has been opened to establish the circumstances and cause of the crash.