Barcelonnette-St-Pons Airfield.
One weekend Three Tragic Accidents
On 16 August 2025, two men died in a double crash involving a tow plane and a glider shortly after takeoff from Barcelonnette Saint-Pons airfield in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. On Sunday 17 August a second tragedy occured when an Alliance 34 crached and the two pilots were killed flying from Ploërmel Loyat Airfield in the Morbihan department of Brittany. A third accident took place in 17 August claiming the lives of two pilots in an aerobatic glider flying from Saintes airfield.
Martin Leÿs, Président of the Fédération Française de Vol en Planeur (FFVP) wrote, 'Our gliding community has been hit by a series of tragedies of unprecedented severity in the history of the Federation. In the space of two days, three separate accidents have claimed the lives of six people.
On Saturday, August 16, in Barcelonnette, an accident during takeoff resulted in the death of the tow pilot and the glider pilot.
On Sunday, August 17, in Saintes, Daniel Perciaux, a member of the Rennes-Saint Sulpice club and a national figure in glider aerobatics, was killed in the crash of the Federation's Fox with his student pilot at Bordeaux-Saucats.
On Sunday, August 17, in Ploërmel-Loyat, an Alliance 34 glider crashed taking the life of an experienced pilot and the friend he was carrying with him.
Never before, in such a short space of time, has our movement experienced such a succession of tragedies
The Federation extends its deepest sympathies and full solidarity to all the families and loved ones of the victims, as well as to the clubs of Barcelonnette, Saintes, Saucats, Saint Sulpice, and Ploërmel.
These deaths remind us of the fragility of our lives and the importance of the bonds that unite us. The entire gliding community shares their grief and mourning today.
Finally, these tragic events reinforce the absolute requirement for safety and vigilance that must guide each of our flights. The Federation will tirelessly continue its efforts to support clubs, instructors, and all pilots in this culture of safety, which is essential to honoring the memory of those we have lost.'
Hans-Georg Raschke
https://sgsm.de/verein/verlust-eines-guten-freundes/
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