France Skydiving Crash

A skydiving plane crashed Sunday in Tomblaine near Nancy in northeastern France, killing all 11 people aboard. Authorities said the victims were the pilot, five parachuting instructors and five novice jumpers who were taking part in an introductory skydiving session; families watching from the ground witnessed the crash. The aircraft had departed from Nancy-Essey Airport and went down around 11 a.m., with officials including Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot responding as investigators began examining the cause. Early accounts cited a malfunction and said the plane fell almost vertically, making it one of France’s deadliest recent light-aircraft accidents.