A World War II air show pilot was killed today when his plane crashed into the sea in front of horrified onlookers.
French authorities confirmed tonight that his body had been found after an intensive search off the coast of Le Lavandou, near Saint Tropez in southeastern France.
The pilot, whose name has not yet been released, was believed to have been flying a Fouga Magister aircraft at the Patrouille de France air show, which commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Provence landings in 1944.
A series of videos on social media showed the plane crashing into the sea off the coast of Le Lavandou, near Saint Tropez in southeastern France, shortly before 5pm local time.
The private plane Fouga Magister shoots through the air at high speed before crashing into the water, narrowly missing several boats.
Rescuers feared the pilot might be trapped, as this type of aircraft does not have an ejection seat.
Emergency services were quickly on the scene and the show was subsequently cancelled, the local port authority confirmed.
A plane crashed into the sea this afternoon in front of shocked spectators during a French air show celebrating the 80th anniversary of the landings in Provence.
A shocking video shared on social media appears to show the plane crashing into the sea, right in the middle of several boats – which narrowly avoid collision
The show was halted while emergency services searched for the pilot, whose body has since been tragically recovered
Officials said the show was halted due to the “tragic circumstances.”
“The pilot’s body has been recovered,” officials from the Prefect du Var, the local authority responsible for the Var region in southern France, said in a statement issued tonight.
French authorities said an investigation was underway into the cause of the accident.
“The prefect of Var, the maritime prefect and the mayor of Lavandou express their condolences to the pilot’s family,” the statement said.
The plane, which was used by the French air force from 1964 to 1980, was performing at the air show just before a demonstration by France’s elite aerobatic aircraft team, a French air force spokesman told AFP.
The French Air Force said in a statement issued tonight that the plane was not from the air force’s Patrouille de France aerobatics team, but rather a Fouga Magister belonging to an association, Reuters reported.
It said: ‘The pilots and the entire Air Force community would like to express their solidarity during this difficult time.’
This latest incident came just days after two French pilots were killed when their Rafale fighter jets collided in mid-air over eastern France in a rare accident involving France’s most important military aircraft.
A spokesman for the Var district where the plane crashed said: ‘Rescue operations to find the pilot are currently being coordinated by the Mediterranean Regional Operational Surveillance and Rescue Centre (CROSS).
‘Equipment from the Var department’s fire and rescue service and the maritime gendarmerie are being deployed in the area.’
The Fouga Magister was built after World War II and was used for many years by the French army as a training aircraft and as an aerobatic aircraft.
According to experts, the ship can reach a top speed of 715 km/h (386 knots) and an altitude of 36,000 feet.
The powerful aircraft is designed for speed and features two Turbomeca Marbore turbojet engines, each delivering 880 lbs of thrust.
The French Patrol had only just begun when the incident occurred and the plane involved in the crash was the second to fly past, Le Figaro reports.
Hundreds of people had gathered to watch the air show, which was organised to mark the 80th anniversary of the Provence landings, also known as Operation Dragoon, when Allied forces invaded the region on August 15, 1944.
Originally, the landings in Provence were intended as part of Operation Overlord. This operation was to have started on D-Day, 6 June 1944, but was cancelled due to lack of resources.
The Fouga Magister was built after World War II and was used for many years by the French army as a training aircraft and as an aerobatic aircraft (archive photo)
According to experts, the Fouga Magister has a top speed of 715 km/h (386 knots) and can reach an altitude of 36,000 feet – but Crucillay has no ejection seat
The campaign was successful and led to a withdrawal of the weakened German forces from southern France.
Two French pilots were killed on Wednesday when two Rafale fighter jets collided in mid-air in eastern France, in a rare accident involving France’s most important military aircraft.
A third pilot was thrown from the plane after the crash over Colombey-les-Belles, a town in northeastern France.
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