A French Air and Space Force Mirage 2000D crashed near Rogéville in eastern France late Tuesday while returning from a night training mission, killing at least one of its two crew members. The aircraft was operating from Air Base 133 Nancy-Ochey and went down approximately 18km northwest of Nancy as it approached the base. The second crew member remained missing on Wednesday morning.
The wreckage was located by drone in a rural area between Rogéville, Domèvre-en-Haye and Tremblecourt. Emergency services, gendarmes, military personnel and a rescue helicopter took part in the search, while efforts continued to locate the second aviator. The French Air and Space Force confirmed that one body had been recovered, but its identification had not yet been completed.
The crew consisted of a young pilot undergoing training and an experienced weapons-systems officer. The two-seat Mirage 2000D is configured for conventional ground-attack operations and complex missions. Available information indicated that the aircraft was not carrying weapons, although details of the mission before the return flight had not been released.
French authorities opened both a flight-safety investigation and a judicial inquiry. The cause of the crash and the identities of the crew had not been disclosed.