Mirage 2000D latest: French fighter jet disappears from radar without a trace near Swiss border

Vanished: a French Mirage 2000D fighter
AP
Bonnie Christian9 January 2019

A French fighter jet carrying two pilots has disappeared from radar screens near the Swiss border, prompting fears it may have crashed.

A French air force spokeswoman said the Mirage 2000D was last detected in a snow-covered mountainous area between the Doubs and Jura regions.

She said a search is under way for signs of the plane and its pilots, believed to be a man and a woman.

The jet took off shortly after 11am local time from the Nancy-Ochey air base in north-east France.

Regional newspaper L'Est Republicain reported that debris, a parachute and a map had been found in the search.

According to the paper one local resident "heard the plane around 10:15 am. This is a busy corridor and they often go very low, but suddenly I heard a thud and then nothing."

Reporting by AP

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