A Mirage 2000D fighter jet crashed on Tuesday evening while was returning from a training flight near Nancy, leaving no hope of finding the two airmen alive.
According to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, the crash occurred at around 10.40pm near Rogéville, not far from the Nancy-Ochey Air Base 133.
President Emmanuel Macron, speaking from Doha, expressed "the condolences of the nation" following the tragic incident.
Neither the 27-year-old pilot nor the 44-year-old navigator managed to eject before the plane hit the ground, as confirmed by Metz public prosecutor David Touvet, who is overseeing the investigation.
The engines of both ejection seats were found at the crash site, indicating that no ejection was attempted.
Given the force of the impact, authorities say there is no realistic hope of recovering either crew member alive. DNA analyses, which may take several weeks, are required to formally identify the victims, Touvet added.
Earlier in the day, President Macron had already announced that the pilot's body had been recovered.
Base commander Ludovic Humbert explained that the crew consisted of a highly experienced navigator and a young pilot who had arrived with all the necessary qualifications for this type of aircraft.
The pilot had completed 450 flight hours and was in the final phase of operational combat training, according to Colonel David Pappalardo, spokesperson for the French Air and Space Force.
The crash happened at the end of a tactical training phase, during the night-time return under instrument conditions.
Air traffic control lost both radio and radar contact with the aircraft, and there was no distress signal or ejection attempt, Colonel Pappalardo stated.
Local residents recounted a powerful explosion. Sandra Rotatinti, who lives near the farm hosting the command post, described how she and her husband felt their walls shake just before 11pm and heard what sounded like a massive explosion, even more intense than the sonic boom of a plane breaking the sound barrier.
Although the couple did not witness the crash, a neighbour walking their dog reported seeing a fireball cross the sky and quickly alerted emergency services.
The flight was part of a standard training mission, which is commonly conducted at night, especially on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
On Wednesday, a police helicopter was finally able to fly over the crash area for the first time, after earlier being grounded by poor weather conditions, including fog and darkness, according to Yves Séguy, Prefect of Meurthe-et-Moselle.
He also confirmed that the aircraft crashed in a wooded area.
At this stage, officials have not commented on the potential causes of the accident.
Prosecutor Touvet stated that the reasons for the crash are entirely unknown and that all possibilities remain open.
The Mirage 2000D, a two-seater ground-attack fighter, has been in service since 1993.
Its history includes several accidents, most notably a fatal crash in the Jura mountain area in January 2019 during a low-altitude night flight, and another incident near Nancy in July 2021 where the crew successfully ejected.
To ensure the fleet remains in operation until the 2030s, the Mirage 2000D has undergone a mid-life upgrade, with the 50th and final modernised aircraft delivered to the Air and Space Force in June.
Colonel Pappalardo insisted that the accident was not linked to the aircraft’s age or service history.
