A training aircraft for Air and Space Force pilots made an emergency landing on Monday, August 17, at approximately 9:45 a.m. on National Route 113 in Salon-de-Provence. The aircraft then caught fire after apparently striking a guardrail. No motorists or residents were injured in the accident.
The Cirrus SR-20 was conducting a training flight from Air Force Base 701. An instructor and a student pilot were on board. Both remained conscious and sustained only minor injuries. They were quickly attended to by the base's medical teams, according to a statement released by the Air and Space Force.
The crew avoided inhabited areas.
The cause of the in-flight incident remains unknown. The crew managed to land the aircraft facing oncoming traffic while vehicles were traveling on the main road. For the mayor of Salon-de-Provence, Nicolas Isnard, this maneuver was a remarkable feat, as the pilot successfully avoided hitting houses and caused no damage to anyone.
Around thirty firefighters were mobilized to control the blaze in a department particularly prone to the risk of wildfires spreading. The State Bureau of Inquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA-ST) will determine the technical causes of the accident. A second investigation has been entrusted to the Air and Space Gendarmerie's research section.
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