Rafales Collide Midair: Two Crewmembers Missing
Image: Dassault Aviation
Two French Air and Space Force Rafale crewmembers are still missing after a midair collision between a pair of Rafale fighters. The single pilot of the second aircraft ejected and was not seriously injured, according to a statement by French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu. "One of the pilots was found safe and sound," he said.
The accident occurred on a return flight from a training mission to Germany, and both aircraft crashed near Colobey-les-Belles in northeastern France. The Rafale is a twin-engine, canard-configured combat aircraft designed and built by Dassault Aviation. Its missions include air supremacy, interdiction, reconnaissance, ground support, strike, maritime combat (naval version, designed to operate from aircraft carriers) and “nuclear deterrence.”
The twin-jet fighters involved in the collision were attached to Rafale Transition Squadron 3-4 Aquitaine, based at Saint-Dizier air base. The squadron’s main mission is training pilots and the back-seat crewmembers for two-seat Rafale fighters.
Details on the accident are scarce as of press time, but Patrice Bonneaux, deputy mayor of Colombey-les-Belles, told Agence France-Presse, "We heard a loud noise, around 12:30 p.m. [6:30 a.m. EDT]. It was not the usual sonic boom of a fighter jet breaking the sound barrier. It was a strange noise, a percussive sound."
"I assumed that two planes had collided, but we didn't believe it," he said.
The wreckage of the Rafale B was found in the commune of Harmonville, Vosges, Grand Est.
Both pilots perished and the aircraft was destoyed.
The aircraft involved are two Rafales from Rafale Transformation Squadron (ETR), based at Saint-Dizier air base, with a total of three occupants on board, divided between a two-seater and a single-seater.
Pilot search operations have been launched.
One of the pilots from the Rafale C has been found and is unharmed.
A pilot who ejected before the crash has been located. The lieutenant-colonel was injured but conscious.
The other occupants (a lieutenant and a captain) a student pilot and his instructor died.
For some unknown reason, the beacon was not activated. The densely wooded area did not make the search any easier. Stormy conditions on the return flight of the two Rafales have not been ruled out as an explanation for the collision.
All three are French nationals.
| Date: | Wednesday 14 August 2024 |
| Time: | c. 12:30 LT |
| Type: |  Dassault Rafale B |
| Owner/operator: | French Air Force/Rafale Transformation Squadron (ETR) |
| Registration: | |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Harmonville, Vosges, Grand Est -  France |
| Phase: | Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:
A Dassault Rafale B and a C collided on their return from a refuelling in Germany.
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