Two pilots were killed when a Hellenic Air Force F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed into trees and erupted into a fireball during an airshow near Athens on Saturday. The incident occurred around 3 p.m. local time at Tanagra Air Base during the Athens Flying Week event.
Footage of the crash shows the F-4 Phantom, an American-made aircraft first flown in 1958, banking at a low altitude before rapidly losing height. The jet disappeared behind trees and impacted the ground, sending a large plume of flames and black smoke into the sky. The Aviationist reported that the crash happened approximately two minutes into the aircraft's display and about two kilometers from the airfield.
The two pilots did not appear to eject from the aircraft. The previous day, the same crew had successfully completed a rehearsal flight in the jet.
The F-4 Phantom, a twin-engine fighter jet, was a prominent aircraft during the Vietnam War and has been operated by air forces worldwide, including Greece, which received its first Phantoms in the 1970s. Organizers of the Athens Flying Week had promoted the F-4s as making one of their final appearances before retirement.
Following the crash, the air display was suspended, and spectators were asked to leave the air base. Emergency services responded with 85 firefighters, 11 water-dropping planes and helicopters, and 23 vehicles to battle the resulting blaze.