See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred SourceBy OLIVIA ALLHUSEN, FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER and DAVID OLASEINDE Published: 13:46 BST, 5 September 2026 | Updated: 17:03 BST, 5 September 2026
A Greek Air Force fighter jet crashed before several thousand spectators at an aerial show north of Athens on Saturday, killing both pilots.Dramatic footage showed plumes of thick smoke rising from the crash site, just a few hundred metres from a stunned crowd.Officials said the two pilots were killed in the crash, while there were no reports of injuries to any bystanders or residents in the wider area.The two-seat F-4 Phantom crashed about two kilometres outside the airport, according to two officials.A large fire continued to burn at the crash site, with firefighting aircraft and helicopters battling the blaze.Eleven firefighting aircraft and helicopters were operating to contain the fire, which spread to the nearby forest.Loudspeakers at the airbase were urging people to leave the area, according to local media.The incident occurred at Athens Flying Week, an annual air show, at Tanagra Air Force Base. A Greek air force jet crashed before several thousand spectators at an aerial show north of Athens on Saturday, killing two pilotsFootage shared on X shows smoke billowing into the sky as a horrified crowd watches on Officials said it was not immediately clear whether pilots had managed to eject before the crash and that it was unclear whether anyone in the crowd had been injured The incident occurred at Athens Flying Week, an annual air show, at Tanagra air force base The remainder of today's show has been cancelledThe remainder of today's show has been cancelled.According to initial reports, the aircraft was cut in two, with a fire igniting in two separate places.Footage from Greek public broadcaster ERT showed the F-4 performing a right turn a few metres above the ground seconds before it crashed and erupted into a fireball.Smoke could be seen streaming from the jet before it suddenly lost altitude and plummeted to the ground, eyewitnesses told Greek outlet Oema.'We were all stunned. It hadn't been airborne for more than three minutes,' an eyewitness told ERT.Around 85 firefighters were deployed to the scene in 23 emergency vehicles.Event organisers immediately began evacuating the area, with the show suspended.The F-4 was participating in the Athens Flying Week, an annual event that attracts military and civilian aviation teams from dozens of countries.This is not the only crash to happen at an airshow recently.Earlier this year, heart-stopping video showed the moment Navy jets collided midair while performing a display, forcing pilots to eject and deploy their parachutes.The crew were forced to make an emergency escape in front of horrified crowds after their aircraft crashed during the Gunfighter Skies show in May.The horrific midair collision occurred just two miles north-west of Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho.A video on social media showed two Boeing EA-18G Growlers colliding and tumbling midair before both jets plummeted to the ground.The pilots survived and were seen descending as black smoke plumes rose from the ground.This is a breaking news story, more to follow.
