Phoenix 24
A public aviation celebration ended in tragedy within minutes of takeoff.
TANAGRA, GREECE
Two Hellenic Air Force pilots were killed when their two-seat F-4 Phantom fighter crashed during an aerial display at Athens Flying Week. The aircraft went down near Tanagra Air Base, approximately 60 kilometres north of Athens, shortly after beginning its performance.
Video footage showed the fighter executing a low-altitude right turn before rapidly losing height, striking the ground and erupting into flames. Witnesses said the aircraft had been airborne for less than three minutes. There were no reported injuries among spectators, local residents or emergency personnel.
The impact ignited a fire that spread into nearby woodland. More than 100 firefighters, dozens of vehicles and several firefighting aircraft and helicopters were deployed. Authorities issued an emergency alert, closed nearby roads and instructed spectators to evacuate the air base. Conditions around the fire reportedly improved later in the day.
Athens Flying Week suspended its remaining program, while the Greek Air Force declared three days of mourning. Defence Minister Nikos Dendias interrupted his scheduled activities in Thessaloniki and returned to Athens. The pilots’ identities had not been publicly released in the initial official reports.
The cause of the crash remains unknown and will require examination of the aircraft, maintenance records, available flight data and footage of the manoeuvre. The F-4 Phantom has served in Greece since the 1970s, but the aircraft’s age alone cannot establish responsibility for the accident. Any conclusion about mechanical failure, pilot action or environmental conditions would be premature before the investigation is completed.
Hechos que no se doblan. / Facts that do not bend.