Sunday 15 April 2018

A French Mirage 2000D accidentally bombed a factory in the French town of Loiretaine Nogent-sur-Vernisson



Translated by google


Loiret: a fighter loses inert ammunition over a company, two wounded


Tuesday April 10, 2018 at 16:45

By Etienne Escuer , François Guéroult and Christophe Dupuy , France Bleu Orléans , France Bleu Sud Lorraine and France Bleu

An air force plane, which joined Nancy, lost ammunition over the town of Loiretaine Nogent-sur-Vernisson. These fell on the company Faurecia. Two people were injured.

Nogent-sur-Vernisson, France

Stupor at the car subcontractor Faurecia in Nogent sur Vernisson (Loiret): a fighter plane lost a replica bomb around 15:30 on Tuesday by passing over the factory, an "inert munition" (which is used especially to exercises) according to military terms. It does not present any danger, but when falling, the object made two wounded.

No explosive in the ammunition

"Two fighter jets of the army have passed, we heard a big boom," says Anthonin Bourgerette, a warehouse worker in an agricultural cooperative opposite the Faurecia plant. "The detonation was relatively strong, it surpassed the noise of the two planes passing by, firefighters and gendarmes came in. Initially, the gendarmes asked us to close the site, before telling us that it was was not worth it, that there was nothing urgent. "

Firefighters intervened quickly in large numbers (about twenty gears and about forty firefighters), fearing at first a risk of explosion, before learning that the object did not present a risk. According to the first elements, the warhead, the front head of the bomb, was detached for reasons still unknown. An investigation will be entrusted to the BEAD-air (bureau investigations accidents defense). The prosecutor of the military prosecutor's office in Paris also conducted a judicial investigation, entrusted to the Gendarmerie of the Air.

A "rather exceptional" accident according to the Air Force

Inert munition "simulates weapons that we use in real conditions , " said Colonel Olivier Celo, spokesman of the Air Force. "They have the aerodynamic characteristics of what are called bombs, but they are not, they are exercises, there are no explosives in them." Of course, "this element was absolutely not intended to be dropped at the place in question (Nogent-sur-Vernisson, Ed) but on the field of fire Suippes, the side of Reims" , adds Colonel Olivier Celo, who specifies that this type of accident is "exceptional, very very rare".

The aircraft, a Mirage 2000D, took off from Nancy-Ochey Air Base 133, where it was also scheduled to land. He had to drop the ammunition on the training ground of Suippes, near Reims (Marne). In the plant, which employs up to 600 people, more than 150 employees were evacuated to a meeting point by management and were confined to this site. The days of the two wounded are not in danger. A psychological cell will be put in place this Wednesday morning. The Air Force apologizes to the victims.

Original post: francebleu.fr

Mirage 2000: Details

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