Cessna Skyhawk II Crashes Onto Paris Highway, Resulting in Three Fatalities

A Cessna 172 Skyhawk crashed onto the A4 highway in the Île-de-France region on Sunday afternoon, resulting in the deaths of all three occupants. The tragic incident occurred at 15:38 local time, near the town of Collégien, prompting an immediate investigation.

The French Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) confirmed the crash, stating on Twitter that a fatal accident involving a Cessna C172 registered F-GCHO had occurred. The BEA has dispatched two representatives to the crash site to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), the crash claimed the lives of two men and one woman. The prosecutor of Meaux, Jean-Baptiste Bladier, revealed that the pilot, born in 1989, had obtained his pilot’s license in 2023 and had just over 100 hours of flying experience.

The crash occurred when the plane collided with a high-voltage power line before coming down onto the highway. Fortunately, no vehicles on the road were impacted by the crash. Authorities quickly closed the A4 on both sides, establishing a diversion, but the highway was reopened by 10:10 p.m. local time.

Photos on social media depict the aircraft overturned between the two lanes of the highway. The local Seine-et-Marne prefecture activated an operational center to coordinate the response, involving state services, rescue teams, and safety forces.

The ill-fated aircraft had taken off from Lognes-Emerainville aerodrome (LFPL) at 14:45, with the crash occurring less than an hour later. This incident marks the second crash in a year involving aircraft from the same aerodrome. In July 2023, a Piper PA-28-181 Archer II missed the runway and crash-landed on the guardrail of highway N104, though all passengers survived with the pilot sustaining minor injuries.

The Lognes-Emerainville Aerodrome Residents Association expressed concern over the repeated incidents, highlighting the safety risks posed by the airfield's proximity to heavily urbanized areas. The association continues to advocate for measures to protect local residents from the hazards associated with frequent flights over their communities.