Skydiving, a willing free-fall out of a moving plane, is one of the riskier thrill-seeking hobbies, and roughly 20 to 30 skydivers die each year in America.
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Relying on nothing more than a parachute to ensure survival, the extreme sport requires flawless execution to be done safely.
Unfortunately, for a group of skydivers in France, danger began before they made their leap.
A plane carrying skydivers crashed into a residential neighborhood moments after takeoff, resulting in the death of everyone on board.
French news outlets L'Est Républicain and Ouest France reported that a plane carrying 11 passengers experienced a "malfunction" and crashed in Tomblaine, a French suburb.
Officials confirmed that the pilot, five students, and five instructors died in the wreck. The incident occurred on Sunday, June 28, around 11 AM, local outlets reported.
11 Passengers, Including Several Nurses, Died in the Tragic Crash
"The death toll is 11 at this stage; there are no collateral victims," said the regional prefect, Yves Séguy, per the Associated Press and L'Est Républicain. "Give or take a few ?meters, and the accident could ?have ?caused collateral casualties."
Séguy added, "The plane fell vertically, and we don't know the cause of the accident. There was no trajectory associated with an emergency landing," he said.
The students involved in the fatal plane crash were nurses. During their visit to the French city of Nancy, they wanted to experience skydiving, per L'Est Républicain.
"I don't remember a tragedy of this magnitude," said Tomblaine Mayor Hervé Feron, per L'Est Républicain. "The plane was taking off when it suddenly crashed. At the moment, there is no explanation for the accident. The crash caused no collateral damage; it occurred on a bike path near a residential area."
"The City of Tomblaine is providing a room at a secret location to accommodate the victims' families," he continued. "According to my information, there were five instructors, five skydivers, and the pilot on board the plane, which was probably rented in Germany. The Greater Nancy Metropolitan Area is also providing a room for the victims to gather and pay their respects."
The names of the victims have not been released publicly. Investigators are probing the cause of the aircraft malfunction.
