Overview

• A Morane 29 crashed into Rosporden pond shortly after 7 p.m. on Aug. 24 during a refill run, with video showing the tail dipping into the water before the aircraft spun and hit the surface.
• The pilot and an onboard firefighter exited unaided, swam to shore, were taken to hospital, and have since been discharged.
• The French Civil Aviation Authority has launched an investigation, while recovery teams installed anti-pollution barriers, suspended boating and fishing, and warned nearby residents about exposure risks.
• Firefighting operations continued with a replacement aircraft, and officials said the helicopter had completed 27 drops earlier that day to help protect roughly 10 hectares.
• Local authorities praised the crew’s professionalism, and initial local findings linked the residential fire that prompted the mission to illegal waste burning.