French Mirage 2000D Crash Kills Pilot, Navigator Missing

A French Mirage 2000D fighter jet crashed in northeastern France on October 20, killing its pilot and leaving the navigator missing, the Ministry of the Armed Forces said. Search and rescue teams were still looking for the second crew member on Wednesday, October 21. The aircraft went down in the Meurthe-et-Moselle region, near Nancy, with two people aboard. The ministry said the pilot had died and the navigator was missing. Authorities had opened an investigation into the crash, but had not established its cause. The circumstances of the flight immediately before the crash have been described differently. The ministry’s account, as reported by two sources, characterized it as a training flight. Another account said the aircraft was returning from a mission. The available information does not resolve that difference. Henry Lemoine, mayor of nearby Ponta-Mousson, said a drone had located aircraft debris and that substantial police and firefighting resources had been deployed. A crisis coordination center was established in Rogeville, according to one report. Search operations were continuing as emergency services worked in the area. Air Force spokesman Colonel David Papalardo...