The parachuting-school plane crashed near Nancy at 11am, said Yves Séguy, the prefect of the Meurthe-et-Moselle region, reported The Guardian.
According to reports, the pilot and 10 others, including five students and five instructors, died in the mishap.
Séguy was quoted as saying by the newspaper: “The plane, which was transporting 11 people, fell suddenly immediately next to the aerodrome. There were no collateral victims.”
Emergency services responded immediately, and authorities were collecting witness statements, he said.