Three people died when a light aircraft crashed on Friday afternoon in Champhol, a town north of Chartres in central France, according to information obtained from the local prefecture by French news agency AFP.
The crash occurred before 4:00 pm in a residential area and claimed the lives of the aircraft’s three occupants, two men and a woman, the Prefecture of Eure-et-Loir Department confirmed.
Among those on board were a 77-year-old experienced pilot, who was also a former army general, and a couple in their sixties, according to Chartres Public Prosecutor Frédéric Chevallier, who visited the scene.
The plane encountered difficulties for reasons still unknown, making a sharp turn three minutes after take-off before hitting a wall in the residential area, Chevallier explained.
No homes in the area were damaged. However, a car was, according to the same source. “The pilot likely prevented a greater tragedy by avoiding the houses,” Chevallier suggested.
The aircraft was owned by the Chartres Metropole aerodrome flying club.
