What Happened
French Investigation Reveals Critical Safety Flaw in Training Exercises
A French investigation into a fatal mid-air collision between two Rafale jets in 2024 has found that a dual input in the cockpit, where the trainee and instructor commanded opposite control movements, was the primary cause of the crash. The flight computers canceled out the conflicting commands, leading to a loss of control. The incident highlights a critical safety flaw in Rafale training exercises and has led to six recommendations for improving safety, including redesigning the control-summation indication and adopting a dual input risk-management policy. The report was published by France’s State aviation safety investigation bureau, BEA-É, and first reported by AeroTime.