Four people affiliated with France’s National School of Civil Aviation (ENAC), including one instructor and three students, were killed after a light aircraft crashed in the Pyrenees mountains, French authorities confirmed on Monday.

According to a statement by Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot, the single-engine aircraft went down in the Ariège department in southwestern France during a training flight. The wreckage was located on Sunday evening at an altitude of approximately 1,200 meters by rescue teams. All four occupants were found dead at the crash site.

Local media reported that the aircraft involved was a type commonly used by flying clubs and for pilot training. Emergency services were deployed to the mountainous area shortly after the aircraft was reported missing.

The public prosecutor’s office has launched a formal investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash. Accident investigators are expected to examine weather conditions, technical factors and flight data as part of the inquiry.

France’s National School of Civil Aviation has not yet released an official statement regarding the incident, as authorities continue their investigation.

The crash marks one of the most serious training flight accidents in the region in recent years. (ILKHA)