The Board of Directors of the French Parachuting Federation announced on Friday, July 3, 2026, the recall of its president for two months. The decision followed comments made by Yves-Marie Guillot the day after the plane crash in Tomblain, near Nancy, which killed eleven people.
The Board of Directors of the French Parachuting Federation (FFP) announced in a press release on Friday, July 3, 2026, the recall of its President for two months. This decision follows comments made by Yves-Marie Guillot the day after the plane crash that killed eleven people in Tomblain, near Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle) on Sunday 28 June.
The Board of Directors regrets that: “Unfortunately, there were mistakes in communication (…) comments made under the influence of emotions, but which had no place at a time when meditation is a priority.”
During a press conference held on Monday 29 June to report on the FFP’s response to the tragic accident, Yves-Marie Guillot raised hypotheses about a possible pilot fatigue condition leading to the fatal piloting error. He also questioned the transport of five tandems (ten people plus a pilot) in a Pilatus PC-6 aircraft. According to the FFP President, this is a questionable choice from a safety point of view and meets the profitability needs of the company organizing the baptisms.
The publication of the statements immediately caused a stir in the parachute and ballooning community in France, as well as abroad. An avalanche of protests followed on social networks.
Faced with the storm, the board of directors fixed the departure of Yve-Marie Guillot until September 2026, considering it a resignation: “will attract a new unwanted focus to the detriment of the federation and its relations with institutional stakeholders such as the Ministry of Sports and Civil Aviation.”
Isabelle Dreisse of the FFP and Tiffany Blomme, President of the Federation of Professional Skydivers, advocate for a future in an alliance between the federations.
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© Eric Molodtsov / France Télévisions
In the same press release, the Board of Directors presents “We offer a formal apology to people, professionals and entities who were directly targeted or called into question by comments made in the media.”
Mrs. Isabelle Dreisse, member of the Board of Directors, represented the FFP during the remembrance ceremony for the eleven victims in the presence of their families on Thursday, July 2, at the Essay-les-Nancy airfield. She will serve as interim president alongside Ms. Domitil Kiger until September. The Board of Directors will meet at the beginning of the school year to consider further action on this issue.