A Greek air force jet crashed at an air show near Athens on Saturday, killing both pilots in front of thousands of spectators. The twin-seat Phantom F4 jet, which was performing a low-altitude maneuver, flew into the ground just meters above the ground and burst into flames. No civilians were injured in the crash, which occurred at the Tanagra air force base.
The incident has been met with widespread grief, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressing his condolences to the families of the two pilots. "The sense of grief is widespread, and our thoughts are with the families of the two pilots we lost," he said. "It is a reminder of the daily danger faced by Greece's aviators, who remain on constant standby to protect Greece's skies."
The crash was witnessed by thousands of people, and video footage showed a second ball of fire nearby as the plane broke apart. The area was evacuated, and the rest of the air show events were canceled. The air force has declared three days of mourning in the country.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as "stunned" and said the plane had not been airborne for more than three minutes before the crash. The bodies of the pilots were recovered from the scene.
The incident is a reminder of the risks faced by pilots during air shows, although it is worth noting that a similar incident in Idaho in May resulted in the pilots being able to safely eject from their planes.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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