French Air and Space Force SR20 Crash

A Cirrus SR20 of the French Air and Space Force made a forced landing on the D113 departmental road near Salon-de-Provence at about 09:45 on 17 August 2026, during a training sortie from Air Base 701. Facing an in-flight problem of undetermined nature, the crew put the single-engine trainer down clear of built-up areas. The instructor and the student pilot evacuated before the aircraft caught fire and were treated for minor injuries by the base medical service; nobody on the ground was hurt. The BEA-E opened a technical investigation and the Gendarmerie a judicial one. The SR20 fleet is to be replaced by the Pilatus PC-7 MKX.