Two pilots killed in plane crash during air show near Athens

Two officials told Reuters that two pilots were killed when a Greek two-seat F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed on Saturday during an air show at Tanagra Air Base north of Athens.

One official said, “Unfortunately, the two pilots lost their lives,” adding that the aircraft “crashed about two kilometers outside the airport, and there were no reports of injuries to passersby or residents in the surrounding area.”

Footage broadcast by the public broadcaster ERT showed the plane turning right just a few meters above the ground seconds before it crashed and burst into a ball of fire. Eleven aircraft and helicopters participated in efforts to contain the fire, which spread into an adjacent forested area.

One witness told the station, “We were all in shock. The plane had been in the air for no more than three minutes.”

Officials at the air base urged people to leave the area via loudspeakers. The aircraft was participating in the Athens Air Week, an annual event that attracts military and civilian air teams from dozens of countries.