The entire Ministry of the Interior family is in mourning following the tragic loss of one of their own on Friday afternoon, whilst he was piloting the Tracker 22, a water-bombing aircraft operated by the French Civil Protection service.
Franck, the pilot, died instantly. His aircraft, which had been used to tackle the wildfire in Générac, in the Gard, was completely destroyed on the ground.
The reasons for the crash remain unknown
This highly experienced pilot, known as ‘Francky’ by his colleagues, was married and had a family. He had a son and a daughter.
Despite the accounts received by our editorial team, the exact causes of this tragedy remain unknown. The investigation that has been launched should help to shed light on the matter.
Julien, who witnessed the scene first-hand, told Secours Info, “ The aircraft was probably about to carry out a drop; it flew into the thick smoke from the fire, before emerging at low altitude, tilting to the left. The crash happened very quickly. I saw the Civil Protection helicopter approaching the area, but not getting too close (no doubt because of the risk of explosion, Ed.). The aircraft quickly burst into flames and there were several explosions ».
Photo: Civil Protection Tracker.