Two pilots killed in F-4 Phantom crash during Athens Flying Week

On Saturday, September 5, 2026, a Hellenic Air Force F-4E Phantom II fighter jet crashed during the Athens Flying Week air show at Tanagra Air Base. The aircraft, belonging to the 338th Squadron of the 117th Combat Wing, went down at 14:55, approximately three nautical miles southeast of the base, just minutes after beginning its aerial demonstration. The crash resulted in the deaths of two experienced pilots, 40-year-old Squadron Leader Ioannis Blesias and 37-year-old Captain Dimitrios Petrou. According to official reports, the crew did not attempt to eject before the impact, which caused the aircraft to break into two pieces and triggered multiple fires in the surrounding forest and industrial areas.

Following the tragedy, the event was immediately suspended, and local authorities ordered the evacuation of spectators. Two foreign workers sustained minor injuries from debris. Greek Defence Minister Nikos Dendias declared a three-day mourning period for the Armed Forces. A military committee has been established to investigate the accident, utilizing extensive video footage and communication logs from the flight. Efforts to gather and analyze wreckage continue as investigators seek to determine whether a technical malfunction or other factors led to the sudden loss of altitude during a low-altitude maneuver.