Mirage fighter jet crashes in eastern France, at least one dead as search continues for second crew member

A French Air and Space Force Mirage 2000D fighter jet has crashed in eastern France, killing at least one person. The French armed forces confirmed the incident on Wednesday. One crew member's body has been recovered, while the search for the second crew member was still under way.

The armed forces ministry said the aircraft was returning from a mission when it crashed in eastern France late on Tuesday evening. The authorities did not immediately provide further details about what happened on the return flight.

The crashed aircraft carried two crew members — a fighter pilot and a weapons systems officer — both from the French Air and Space Force. The recovery of one body has been officially confirmed.

A search operation was continuing around the crash site for the second crew member, the ministry said. No information was given on whether he might still be alive.

An investigation into the cause of the crash has been opened. Whether a technical fault, the weather or another factor brought the aircraft down is expected to emerge from that inquiry.

The Mirage 2000D is a well-known aircraft in the French air fleet. According to the ministry, it specialises in ground-attack missions. The two-seat aircraft is designed to operate in complex environments.

It supports conventional air operations and power-projection missions, and aircraft of this type regularly take part in training and operational flights.

A fighter jet crashing during training or on a return flight in peacetime is a major blow for any air force, and such accidents raise fresh questions about crew safety.

The French armed forces said further updates on the search and the investigation would follow. All eyes are now on the fate of the missing crew member.