The worst has been avoided.
Two Rafales touched Sunday during an air meeting in the south-west of France, in Cognac (Charente), a very rare accident which did not prevent the planes from landing without clashes nor victim to be deplored, according to a military source.
“During their tactical presentation, two Rafales from the 30th Fighter Wing touched each other in flight” around 12:40 p.m., said Colonel Nicolas Lyautey, commander of the Cognac-Châteaubernard base where the meeting was taking place.
During their impact, one of the two planes "lost a piece of its fin, which during its fall damaged the roof of a dwelling" in the neighboring town of Gensac-la-Pallue.
The daily newspaper Sud-Ouest collected the testimony of a resident who lives a few meters from the deteriorated house.
“It looked like a gunshot, we got out, there was dust everywhere,” commented Sandra.
The two aircraft then landed without difficulty.
The two aircraft, however, landed "without difficulty", and "no injuries are to be deplored", specified the commander, while the two Rafales were in full flight demonstration on the occasion of the second day of the Meeting of the air of Cognac.
A technical investigation has been opened, while administrative and judicial investigations are to follow.
Such an accident is extremely rare.
The last touch of this kind occurred in April 2010 during a training of the patrol of France, according to the press service of the air force.