France EC135 T2+ Fleet Update

A Gendarmerie Nationale Eurocopter EC135 T2+ helicopter crashed in the Massif de Lorris in Orléans Forest, near Bray-Saint-Aignan, Loiret, at approximately 16:40 local time on 7 June 2026. The crew was on an airborne search-and-rescue mission for a missing teenager from Bouzy-la-Forêt, who was later found alive near La Ferté-Saint-Aubin. One gendarme was killed at the scene; the pilot and the mechanic were evacuated conscious but in critical condition to the CHU d'Orléans. Two parallel investigations were opened: a technical inquiry by the BEA-É (Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Accidents pour la Sécurité de l'Aéronautique d'État) and a judicial investigation by the Montargis prosecutor's office for involuntary homicide and negligent destruction of military equipment. No cause had been established at the time of reporting.