Overview
- A twin‑engine Cessna 421 registered to Claude Guillemot crashed while on approach to La Baule aerodrome, and the wreckage burned, killing two people including Guillemot and a flight instructor, authorities confirmed after the Friday crash.
- Ubisoft issued a brief statement expressing deep sadness and said it would make no further comment at this time, and families were notified by officials the evening of the accident.
- Claude Guillemot was one of five brothers who founded Ubisoft in 1986 and served as chairman and CEO of the family’s Guillemot Corporation, which owns brands such as Thrustmaster and helps the family retain significant influence over Ubisoft.
- The Saint‑Nazaire prosecutor’s office has opened an inquiry and France’s civil aviation accident body is expected to carry out a formal technical investigation; investigators have not yet determined a cause and formal findings can take months.
- Local emergency services reported witnesses saw the aircraft turn before it crashed, firefighters mobilized to fight a large blaze on impact, and there have been no immediate corporate or ownership changes announced following Guillemot’s death.