LA BAULE, FRANCE (THECOUNT) — Claude Guillemot, 69, co-founder of Ubisoft, and an unnamed flight instructor were killed Friday when a Cessna 421 aircraft crashed while approaching La Baule Airport in western France, according to Ubisoft and French authorities.
The fatal crash occurred near La Baule, a coastal resort town on France’s Atlantic coast, as the twin-engine aircraft was making its final approach to the airport Friday evening. Both occupants aboard the aircraft were killed.
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French media reported the aircraft, a Cessna 421 owned by Guillemot, had departed from Rennes before crashing into a field near the runway shortly before landing.
Witnesses reportedly observed the aircraft descend abruptly before impacting the ground, where it burst into flames and ignited nearby vegetation. The intensity of the post-crash fire delayed victim identification while emergency crews extinguished the blaze and secured the scene.
French aviation investigators have launched an inquiry into the cause of the crash. Authorities have not announced what may have caused the aircraft to go down.
Guillemot was one of five brothers — Claude Guillemot, Yves Guillemot, Michel Guillemot, Christian Guillemot, and Gérard Guillemot — who founded Ubisoft in 1986. The company grew from a family-run business in Brittany into one of the world’s largest video game publishers, producing globally recognized franchises including Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six, Splinter Cell, Just Dance, Rayman, and The Division.
Throughout his career, Claude Guillemot served on Ubisoft’s Board of Directors and held executive leadership positions overseeing operations and technology initiatives. Ubisoft previously described him as bringing extensive international business experience and deep knowledge of gaming technologies to the company’s leadership.
Ubisoft confirmed Guillemot’s death Saturday in a statement, mourning one of the company’s founding members and longtime executives.
Headquartered in Montreuil, France, Ubisoft has become one of the gaming industry’s most influential publishers during the past four decades, employing thousands of people worldwide and releasing some of the best-selling video game franchises in history.
According to reports, Guillemot was traveling to La Baule to attend a gathering of aviation enthusiasts expected to feature more than 100 light aircraft. The second victim has been identified only as a flight instructor.
The Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA) is expected to examine the aircraft’s maintenance records, weather conditions, pilot qualifications, and other evidence as investigators work to determine what caused the crash.
Authorities have not released a preliminary cause of the accident, and the investigation remains ongoing.
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