Greek fighter jet crashes during air show near Athens, killing two pilots

TANAGRA, GREECE: A Greek Air Force fighter jet crashed during an air show north of Athens on Saturday, killing both pilots as thousands of spectators watched. The Phantom F-4 went down during a low-altitude maneuver at Tanagra Air Force Base before bursting into flames on impact.

No civilians were hurt in the crash, but the incident brought the Athens Flying Week event to an abrupt end. Organizers canceled the remaining events and evacuated the area as emergency crews rushed to the scene.

The video below shows the Greek Air Force fighter jet crashing during the air show, followed by flames and a large plume of smoke.

Greek fighter jet crashes during low-altitude maneuver

The twin-seat Phantom F-4 was flying just meters above the ground when it crashed during the annual Athens Flying Week. The impact sent a large plume of black smoke into the air as the aircraft broke apart. Video from the scene showed another ball of fire near the crash site.

The crash quickly triggered a major emergency response. Eleven water-dropping planes and helicopters joined 85 firefighters as they worked to put out the blaze.

The bodies of the two pilots were later recovered.

An eyewitness described the shock of seeing the aircraft go down. “We were all stunned. It hadn't been airborne for more than three minutes,” the eyewitness told ERT, Greece’s state-owned broadcaster.

Two Greek Air Force pilots killed in Tanagra crash

Both pilots aboard the aircraft died in the crash. Their deaths prompted an immediate response from Greek officials as the country began mourning the two air force officers.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his condolences to the pilots’ families while pointing to the risks faced by Greek aviators. “The sense of grief is widespread, and our thoughts are with the families of the two pilots we lost,” Mitsotakis said.

“It is a reminder of the daily danger faced by Greece’s aviators, who remain on constant standby to protect Greece's skies,” he added. The Greek Air Force declared three days of mourning following the crash.

Athens Flying Week canceled after fatal air show crash

The fatal accident forced organizers to cancel the rest of the Athens Flying Week events. The area around Tanagra Air Force Base was also evacuated as emergency crews dealt with the crash.

Cyprus Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas also expressed his condolences and said he had spoken with Nikos Dendias, Greece’s Minister of National Defense, after learning about the deaths.

“It is with deep sadness that I learned of the death of the two officers of the Hellenic Air Force, who lost their lives in the tragic accident that occurred during the air show at Tanagra Air Base,” Palmas said.

The crash unfolded as spectators gathered for the annual event, turning what had been a day of air show performances into a scene of mourning.

Fatal air show crashes have raised safety concerns

The Tanagra crash comes months after another air show incident in Idaho in May, when two jets collided during an air show. In that incident, however, the pilots were able to safely eject.

In Greece, the Phantom F-4 crash had a far more tragic outcome, with both pilots killed and the remaining Athens Flying Week events canceled.

The emergency response eventually brought the fire under control, while the recovery of the pilots’ bodies marked the end of a devastating day for the Hellenic Air Force and the families of those killed.