Horrifying moment plane crashes into sea shocking onlookers and killing pilot

16 August 2024, 19:54

Shocking footage showed a 20th-century plane crashing into the sea in front of horrified spectators today, killing the pilot in the process.

A rescue operation was launched by French authorities to find the pilot after his plane crashed into the water at the Patrouille de France show at around 5pm.

The pilot, who was the only known person on board, failed to eject from the plummeting aircraft, French outlet La Figaro reports.

Around an hour after the crash, authorities confirmed the pilot’s body had been retrieved.

Read more: Chilling last words of Brazil plane crash pilots revealed by plane's black box recording

“The prefect of Var, the maritime prefect and the mayor of Lavandou present their condolences to the pilot’s family,” a statement said.

“It did a stunt and came down in a dive before crashing at the end of the jetty at the port of Bormes,’ a witness told France Bleu.

Another spectator, Jean, said: “We were waiting for it to come back up… Everyone is stunned.”

The aircraft, a Fouga Magister, was used by the French military from 1964 to 1980 but the pilot is not believed to have served.

Following the crash, Var prefecture officials said on X: “Rescue operations to find the pilot are currently being coordinated by CROSS Med.

“Resources from the Var Departmental Fire and Rescue Service and the Maritime Gendarmerie are deployed in the area.”

The French airforce paid tribute to the pilot as they confirmed the remainder of the show had been cancelled.

“The pilots and the entire Air and Space Army community are showing their solidarity in these difficult times,” the army said on social media.

This comes after the black box flight recording from a Brazilian plane which crashed, killing everyone on board, has revealed the chilling last words of the co-pilot.

The plane, which was heading from Cascavel to São Paulo, was around 80km from its destination when it plummeted from the sky, killing all 62 people on board.

According to a local TV station, TV Globo, the co-pilot is said to have asked what is going on and that the plane needed ‘more power’ in its final moments.

The pilots noted a steep loss of altitude in the minute before the plane hit the ground. The recording also captured screaming of those on board.