Two Alpha Jets from the French Air and Space Force’s Patrouille de France aerobatic team collided in mid-air during a training flight on Tuesday. The crash occurred near Air Base 113 in Saint-Dizier, in the Haute-Marne region, at around 15:35 local time.
Video shared online shows six jets flying in formation with red, white, and blue smoke trails. Two of the jets appear to collide and break apart.
🚨 Mid-air collision during Patrouille de France rehearsal in Saint-Dizier 🇫🇷 ✈️ Two Alpha Jets crashed, but all three crew members ejected safely and survived. Emergency services are on-site. Investigation underway.
More details: @airmainengineer pic.twitter.com/QMgOhUEASo
— AirNav Radar (@AirNavRadar) March 25, 2025
One aircraft hit a silo at a nearby industrial site, starting a fire. The other jet crashed into a canal. Emergency services responded quickly and no one on the ground was hurt.
All three people on board—two pilots and one passenger—ejected and were found conscious. Two are in stable condition, and one has multiple injuries but is being cared for by military medical staff, according to a French Air & Space Force spokesperson.
Two Alpha Jets from the Patrouille de France collide during a training exercise in Saint-Dizier, Haute-Marne. The pilots managed to eject. A fire broke out in a local factory. pic.twitter.com/eoimm8d4fG pic.twitter.com/LLeWC8ZCKB
— Breaking Aviation News & Videos (@aviationbrk) March 25, 2025
The crash happened just outside Air Base 113, home to Dassault Rafale squadrons. That same base was involved in a fatal Rafale collision during a training mission in August 2024.
The Patrouille de France team has flown Alpha Jets since 1981 and is known for public flyovers, including Bastille Day in Paris. An investigation is underway to determine what caused the collision.
