2019 Ménaka mid-air collision
| Mid-air collision | |
|---|---|
| Date | 25 November 2019 |
| Summary | Collision in darkness (human factors) |
| Site |
|
| Total fatalities | 13 |
| Total survivors | 0 |
| First aircraft | |
| An Eurocopter AS532 Cougar similar to the one involved | |
| Type | Eurocopter AS532 Cougar |
| Operator | French Army Light Aviation (5e RHC) |
| Call sign | Celtic |
| Registration | F-MCGE |
| Flight origin | Ménaka, Mali |
| Destination | Combat zone (Eranga Valley) |
| Occupants | 11 |
| Passengers | 6 (Mountain Commando Group) |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 11 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Second aircraft | |
| An Eurocopter Tiger similar to the one involved. | |
| Type | Eurocopter Tiger (F-MBJQ) |
| Operator | French Army Light Aviation (5e RHC) |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Survivors | 0 |
On 25 November 2019, two French Armed Forces helicopters, an Eurocopter AS532 Cougar and an Eurocopter Tiger which were part of Operation Barkhane, collided in mid-air over northern Mali, this collision resulted in the deaths all 13 soldiers who were in both helicopters.
It was the deadliest incident involving the French military since the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings.
Three days later , the Islamic State in West Africa made a statement claiming to have caused the crash, which was denied the following day by Chief of Staff General François Lecointre