Two Killed in Collector Jet Crash in Fontainebleau Forest

Overview

• The jet that crashed Monday in the Forest of Fontainebleau killed a 53-year-old pilot and a passenger who had come from northern France for an introductory flight.
• The aircraft was a Fouga Magister, a vintage two-seat military jet favored by collectors, that had taken off from Melun-Villaroche.
• A witness near Chailly-en-Bière reported an explosion and a fireball around 4 p.m., which triggered the alert to firefighters.
• A forest-fire surveillance system using artificial intelligence spotted the smoke plume and helped crews quickly locate the wreck and contain small fires.
• The air-transport gendarmerie is leading the investigation, and officials say the cause remains unknown despite early findings that maintenance was current and weather had been validated.