Accident - Mirage 2000

[Farrell]

Posted this in Rumours but in hindsight it's probably better here.

Mirage 2000 and microlight collision in France


L'accident est tout à fait exceptionnel. Survolant la région de Clermont-Ferrand en mission d'entraînement, un Mirage 2000 N de la base aérienne 125 d'Istres a percuté lundi matin un ULM à Aubusson d'Auvergne. Le pilote de l'ULM, âgé de 63 ans et originaire d'Ambert, dans le Puy-de-Dôme, ainsi que son passager, âgé de 55 ans et originaire de la région parisienne, sont décédés dans l'accident. Le pilote possédait une licence de vol. Parti d'Ambert, l'ULM s'est écrasé en zone forestière, au lieu-dit "Tournebise", à une vingtaine de kilomètres au sud-est de Thiers.

Le Mirage accidenté s'est posé sur l'aéroport de Clermont-Ferrand, tandis que l'autre Mirage s'est posé à Istres après avoir survolé la zone de l'accident de façon à alerter les secours. D'importants moyens ont été aussitôt mobilisés : les gendarmes ont dépêché 24 militaires et 19 véhicules sous la direction du commandant de la compagnie de Thiers. De leur côté, les sapeurs-pompiers ont mobilisé 25 personnes et huit véhicules. Des débris de l'ULM ont été rapidement retrouvés par des hélicoptères de la Sécurité civile et de la gendarmerie.

Une collision sans précédent en France

Selon la préfecture du Puy-de-Dôme, une commission d'enquête civile et militaire est en cours de constitution pour établir les circonstances de l'accident. Le parquet de Clermont-Ferrand a été saisi de l'affaire et l'enquête a été confiée à la Brigade de Gendarmerie des Transports Aériens de Clermont-Ferrand.

"De mémoire, c'est la première fois qu'on a un accident impliquant un petit aéronef civil. C'est l'enquête qui déterminera les circonstances de la collision. Quelles étaient les hauteurs des uns et des autres, pourquoi ils se sont touchés", a déclaré un officier du Sirpa-air (service d'information de l'armée de l'air).

Dans un communiqué, Michèle Alliot-Marie a exprimé "sa profonde émotion à la suite de l'accident aérien" et présenté "ses sincères condoléances aux familles" des deux occupants de l'ULM. Par ailleurs, au-delà de l'enquête technique, le ministre de la Défense a demandé "une enquête de commandement pour établir, dans les plus brefs délais, les circonstances de ce drame et les différentes responsabilités, afin d'en tirer toutes les conséquences".

[joe2812]

Hate to whine...but for those not fluent in French? :(

[Farrell]

Sorry about that Joe, I put it on in haste!

You can find the translation in the Rumours & News section.

Apologies again

Wayne

[Bo Nalls]

Out of curiosity I put the French version through Google and came up with the following. Not too bad a translation, although why the parquet floor at Clermont-Ferrand was seized still puzzles me :D



The accident is completely exceptional. Flying over the area of Clermont-Ferrand on mission of drive, a Mirage 2000 N of the air base 125 of Istres struck Monday morning a ULM with Aubusson of Auvergne. The pilot of the ULM, 63 years old and originating in Ambert, in Puy-de-Dome, like his passenger, 55 years old and originating in the Paris area, died in the accident. The pilot had a licence of flight. Started from Ambert, the ULM was crushed in forest belt, with the locality "Tournebise", a score of kilometers in the south-east of Thiers.

The broken Mirage was posed on the airport of Clermont-Ferrand, while the other Mirage was posed in Istres after having flown over the zone of the accident in order to alert the helps. Significant means were mobilized at once: the gendarmes dispatched 24 soldiers and 19 vehicles under the direction of the commander of the company of Thiers. On their side, the firemen mobilized 25 people and eight vehicles. Remains of the ULM were quickly found by helicopters of civil Safety and gendarmerie.

A collision without precedent in France

According to the prefecture of Puy-de-Dome, a civil and military board of inquiry is in the course of constitution to establish the circumstances of the accident. The parquet floor of Clermont-Ferrand was seized by the business and the investigation was entrusted to the Gendarmerie squad Air transports of Clermont-Ferrand.

"Of memory, it is the first time that one has an accident implying a small civil aircraft. It is the investigation which will determine the circumstances of the collision. Which were the heights of the ones and others, why they were touched ", declared an officer of the Sirpa-air (service of information of the Air Force).

In an official statement, Michele Alliot-Marie expressed "her deep emotion following the plane crash" and presented "her sincere condolences at the families" of the two occupants of the ULM. In addition, beyond the technical investigation, the Minister for Defense asked for "an investigation of command to establish, as soon as possible, the circumstances of this drama and the various responsibilities, in order to draw all the conclusions from them".

[adr]

Not too bad a translation, although why the parquet floor at Clermont-Ferrand was seized still puzzles me Better than I could come up with without a dictionary and some furrowing of the brow! "Le parquet," my Hachette dictionary tells me, is a synonym for the Office of the Public Prosecutor. Clearly they assert they've got a grip on the situation!

adr

[Farrell]

why the parquet floor at Clermont-Ferrand was seized still puzzles me



It's kind of metaphorical - a false friend as it is known here.
It means that a member of the Gendarmerie - "seizing" or taking control of the situation.......I'm sure you get the drift of it ;)

The French language can be a real pain in the a** sometimes when you're trying to learn it! - but it is (quote) "the most beautiful language in the world!" ahem!

[steamchicken]

Like the traditional clause in UNSC resolutions that "the Council resolves to remain seized of the matter". Le parquet est saisi..=the prosecutor's office is dealing with it.

[allan907]

Bejeezus. When I learnt French at school I always thought that it had a rather engaging lilt to it and was quite charming - I hadn't realised that they were actually talking complete bolleaux!

(Shades of the Monty Python sketch):ok: