French Member of Parliament Olivier Dassault, son of Serge Dassault and grandson of Marcel Dassault, died in a helicopter crash in Normandy.
MP Olivier Dassault died Sunday in the crash of his helicopter near Deauville, Calvados. The pilot also died.
The aircraft, an Aérospatiale AS350 Écureuil registered F-GIBM, crashed during take-off in the town of Touques, on a private flight.
Emmanuel Macron paid tribute to the MP, who was 69, in a tweet. “Olivier Dassault loved France. Captain of industry, deputy, local elected official, reserve commander in the Air Force: during his life, he never stopped serving our country, valuing its assets. His death brutal is a great loss. Thoughts on his family and loved ones,” the head of state wrote.
Olivier Dassault was a 1974 graduate of the Air Force Academy (École de l’air) and held a master’s degree in mathematics (1976) as well a doctorate in business management computing (1980).
Having qualified as a professional IFR pilot in 1975, Olivier Dassault set a number of world speed records:
- 1977: New York to Paris in a Dassault Falcon 50
- 1987: New Orleans to Paris in a Dassault Falcon 900 (both jointly with Hervé Le Prince-Ringuet)
- 1996: Paris to Abu Dhabi in a Falcon 900 EX
- 1996: Paris to Singapore in a Falcon 900 EX (both jointly with Guy Mitaux-Maurouard and Patrick Experton)
He is the only pilot qualified on the entire Falcon business aircraft range.
?? Accident mortel de l’@AirbusHeli #AS350 immatriculé F-GIBM survenu le 07/03/21 à #Touques / @BEA_Aero sur place: mapping du site via drone, recueil de témoignages / des éléments seront transportés au BEA pour examen. (photo aéronef en vol pour illustration (c) Aldo Bidini) pic.twitter.com/F63Zv2fOHB
— BEA ?? ?? ?? (@BEA_Aero) March 8, 2021
