THIS is the horrific moment a private plane crashed into the sea near an air show in France.
Dramatic footage shows the Fouga Magister jet soaring over the ocean before plunging under the surface as stunned bystanders watched on.
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Emergency services are carrying out a rescue operation in the waters off the coast of Lavandou, in the southwest of the country.
The pilot didn’t eject from the aircraft when it plummeted towards the sea – as the plane doesn’t carry an ejection seat, Le Figaro reports.
His body was later recovered from the water, according to France Bleu.
The horrific accident happened just before 5pm on Friday.
The Fouga Magister is a collectors plane used by the Air Force in the 1960s.
Footage shared on X, apparently taken by witnesses, showed the moment the jet hit the water.
It went down amid several other boats, but miraculously avoided crashing into them.
One bystander, Gerard, told France Bleu: “[The plane] It did a stunt and came down in a dive before crashing at the end of the jetty at the port of Bormes.”
Another said: “It was doing aerobatics, it was heading towards the water and we were waiting for it to come back up.
“Everyone is stunned.”
Local officials in Var, near the crash site, said: “Rescue operations to find the pilot are currently being coordinated by the Mediterranean Regional Operational Surveillance and Rescue Centre (CROSS).
“Resources from the Var Departmental Fire and Rescue Service and the Maritime Gendarmerie are deployed in the area.”
The tragedy struck during an air show by the Patrouille de France, the aerobatics unit of the French Air and Space Force.
They were set to perform a public display on Friday afternoon after the festivities began at 4.30pm.
The plane that crashed was set to be the second to fly past as part of the show.
Fouga Magister jets are the former flagship planes of the Patrouille de France.
It was designed with flight schools and training in mind, and can travel up to 530 miles per hour.