Eleven people were killed after a small aircraft carrying skydivers crashed shortly after takeoff from Nancy-Essey airfield in the northeastern French town of Tomblaine on Sunday.
The victims included the pilot, five instructors and five first-time trainee parachutists who were preparing for tandem jumps with a parachuting school.
The aircraft came down near the edge of the airfield in a residential area close to a shopping centre, narrowly missing nearby homes.
Authorities said family members gathered to watch the trainees' jumps witnessed the fatal crash.
French officials have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the aircraft crashed approximately 300 meters from the runway shortly after departure.
He said the scene was marked by "very strong emotion" as relatives and witnesses faced the aftermath of the crash.
Medical and psychological support teams were deployed to assist family members and others affected by the incident.
The Paris prosecutor's office has opened an investigation, while officials said it was too early to determine what caused the aircraft to fall.
Authorities declined to speculate on whether the ongoing heatwave or weather conditions contributed to the crash.
Regional prefect Yves Seguy said the aircraft plunged almost vertically before striking the ground on a bike path near residential buildings.
He warned that only a few more meters could have resulted in additional casualties among nearby residents.
A witness told Reuters the aircraft appeared to lose engine noise shortly after climbing, while another said it veered to the right before impact and later caught fire.
Tomblaine Mayor Hervé Feron described the crash as occurring in a "completely unexplained manner" and urged against drawing conclusions before the investigation is completed.
Officials also said half of the deceased skydivers were nurses who had planned the jump together.
The aircraft was reported by media to be registered in Germany, though no official confirmation was immediately provided.