Sept. 5 (UPI) — A Greek air force jet crashed during an air show killing both pilots at an air force base north of Athens Saturday, officials said.
The crash was in a twin-seat Phantom F4 jet during a low-altitude maneuver at about 3 p.m. local time. Thousands of spectators were watching, but none of them were injured during the show, the annual Athens Flying Week.
The Greek air force released a statement on the crash.
“On Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026 at 2:55 p.m., an F4E Phantom II aircraft of the 338th Squadron of the 117th Fighter Wing, which was participating in the ‘Athens Flying Week 2026’ Airshow, crashed 3 nautical miles southeast of the 114th Fighter Wing, resulting in the fatal injuries of the two crew members, First Lieutenant (I) I.M. and First Lieutenant (I) D.P. The causes of the accident are being investigated by a competent Air Force committee,” the statement said.
“The sense of grief is widespread, and our thoughts are with the families of the two pilots we lost,” the Washington Post reported Prime Minister Kyriakos 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.”
There were 85 firefighters and 11 water-dropping planes putting out the fire at Tanagra air force base, air force officials said. They were able to recover the bodies of the pilots, but the fire made it difficult at first.
There was an evacuation order in an area near the base because of the fire, and the organizers canceled the remaining events for the rest of the weekend.
On Friday, the crew successfully performed a rehearsal flight in the plane.
The F4 Phantom was first flown in 1958 and introduced by the U.S. Navy in the 1960s, the twin-engine fighter was used heavily in the Vietnam War. Greece first began using it in the 1970s.
Cyprus Defense Minister Vasilis Palmas posted on X that he reached out to his Greek counterpart in the wake of the crash.
“With profound sorrow, 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.
“In a telephone communication I had with the Minister of National Defense [Nicos Dendias] I expressed my sincere condolences, on behalf of the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus, and my sympathy to the families of the two pilots,” Palmas said.
The air force declared three days of mourning.
