[Faline]

In a tragic aviation incident, a small plane carrying ten skydivers and a pilot crashed in Belgium, resulting in the deaths of all on board. The Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter aircraft, which took off from Temploux aerodrome near Namur, encountered catastrophic failure and crashed in a field between the villages of Marchovlette and Fernelmont. The accident occurred on Saturday at approximately 4pm local time (3pm BST), shortly after the aircraft reached an altitude of about two miles.

Among the victims was a woman celebrating her birthday with her first-ever parachute jump. Witnesses reported seeing part of a wing detach from the aircraft before it started its fatal descent. Despite desperate attempts by some skydivers and instructors to jump to safety, all were killed in the crash or the subsequent fire.

Local resident Benoit Pierson, who witnessed the crash, recounted rushing to the scene and finding one of the passengers still alive but severely injured. Tragically, this individual succumbed to injuries amid the blaze that engulfed the aircraft. Local politician Maxime Prevot confirmed the birthday celebration jump, adding a personal note to the tragedy.

Witness accounts to Belgium's Sud Presse and RTL TV channel described the harrowing moments of the plane's rapid descent and impact. Jean-Claude Nihoul, Mayor of Fernelmont, noted that this was an unprecedented tragedy in the region, highlighting the presence of open parachutes on the ground as evidence of the skydivers' futile escape attempts.

The cause of the crash remains unknown. Investigators have been dispatched to the site to determine why the plane plunged from approximately 3,000 meters. Nicolas Hormans of the Paraclub Namur suggested that the nosedive would have made it nearly impossible for anyone on board to safely exit and parachute to safety.

Efforts are ongoing to confirm the identities of the deceased. Firefighters from the area, located about 75 km southeast of Brussels, responded swiftly but were unable to save any of the victims.

Belgian Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo expressed condolences to the families of the victims. The Prime Minister, King Philippe, and the country's interior minister visited the crash site, marking the gravity of the incident and the nation's mourning.

[Pyramid_Head]

How utterly horrible to hear.

[kellyhound]

same plane had an emergency crash in 2000 where ten people were wounded and the plane was fixed back then.

one of the victims that died survived a plane crash in juni 2002 with an identical plane as this one.

[ices]

Those with chutes were trying desperately to get the fuck out of there I bet.

[Sharon]

That was such an awful story

[JumboSausage]

Even with parachutes, if a plane is spinning out of control then it's near on going to be impossible to get to a door and jump.

[Spiffyfable]

They jumped... but didn't make it

[b0g]

I remember that months later the cause for the part coming loose was the brute style of flying of the pilot who considered this repaired average plane as a heavy build stunt of test plane.
the wings couldn't handle the stress