Two pilots were killed when a twin‑seat Phantom F‑4 jet crashed during a low‑altitude manoeuvre at Athens Flying Week, an annual air show held north of Athens. The accident occurred on Saturday and a fire erupted at the impact site, sending large plumes of black smoke into the air.
Thousands of spectators watched the event, which attracts military and civilian aviation teams from dozens of countries. Despite the scale of the crash, no injuries were reported among the audience or residents in the surrounding area, though the sense of grief was widespread.
Rescue efforts at Tanagra air force base, located about 60 kilometres north of Athens, were initially hampered by the blaze. Eleven water‑dropping aircraft and helicopters assisted 85 firefighters in containing the fire, which stayed some distance from the viewing area. The bodies of the two pilots were recovered during the operation.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his condolences, noting the daily dangers faced by Greece’s aviators. The air force declared three days of mourning, and Cyprus’s Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas offered condolences to the families. Organisers cancelled the remaining events scheduled for the weekend, and an evacuation order was issued for an area near the base.
