Spectators watch as smoke rises after a Hellenic Air Force F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed, during the Athens Flying Week airshow at Tanagra Air Force Base, north of Athens, Greece, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo/Kallista Allaway)
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A Greek air force jet crashed at an air show north of Athens on Saturday, killing the two pilots, officials said, as thousands of people were in attendance at the event.
The crash of the twin-seat Phantom F4 jet occurred during a low-altitude maneuver. A fire after the crash sent up large plumes of black smoke. There were no injuries among the spectators.
Smoke rises after a Hellenic Air Force F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed, during the Athens Flying Week airshow at Tanagra Air Force Base, north of Athens, Greece, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. (AP Photo)
“The sense of grief is widespread, and our thoughts are with the families of the two pilots we lost,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said. “It is a reminder of the daily danger faced by Greece’s aviators, who remain on constant standby to protect Greece’s skies.”
