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The accident aircraft photographed in 2010 (Photo Jeff (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0))

A dramatic accident occurred on Friday, June 6 around 2:30 p.m. at Air Base 721 in Rochefort-Saint-Agnant, France. The Morane-Saulnier MS.733 F-AZXU crashed, resulting in the death of Alexandre Fritz, a former military pilot with 30 years of service.

He was performing a flight demonstration on the occasion of the graduation ceremony of the promotion class at the Non-Commissioned Officer Training School of the French Air and Space Force (EFSOAAE) in Rochefort.

A witness told Sud-Ouest that “the plane tried to turn around and suddenly stalled, from a height of 300 meters. Then there was a loud boom.” The exact causes of the accident are not yet known, and an investigation is underway.

We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Alexandre Fritz.

Sources:

• Rochefort: A pilot dies in a plane crash | Sud-Ouest (in French)
• A former MS.733 “Alcyon” training aircraft crashed near Rochefort air base | Opex360 (in French)

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Morane-Saulnier MS.733 n°134 F-WYOT ( Photo © Vintage Aircraft Midi Pyrénées )

On 17 March 2019, the Morane-Saulnier MS.733 Alcyon No. 134 (registered F-WYOT) made its first flight after a four-year restoration. This first test flight lasted thirty minutes, and was made with gear extended. Five other flights were made since. This aircraft is a former French air force example, and was purchased by a Swiss owner after its military service before returning to France  in 2015.

More information (in French) and photos can be found here.