A Greek Air Force fighter jet that crashed on Saturday during an air show in Tanagra, north of Athens, killing both pilots on board, had undergone all required maintenance and inspections under Air Force protocols and was fully airworthy, sources from the event’s organizer said on Sunday.
The F-4E Phantom II fighter jet was taking part in a transit flight, rather than an air show performance, the sources said, who added that the air show itself is conducted by the “ZEUS” Air Display Team using F-16 aircraft.
The sources also dismissed any question of the aircraft’s “age,” noting that aircraft dating back to World War II, including Spitfire aircraft, and even World War I-era planes commonly participate in similar air shows in Greece and abroad.
An investigation by the relevant Air Force committee into the circumstances and causes of the crash is ongoing.
The Air Force identified the two pilots killed in the accident as Major Ioannis Blesias, 40, and Captain Dimitrios Petrou, 37.
