On Saturday (September 5), a serious aviation accident occurred during the “Athens Flying Week” air show in Greece. An F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed and exploded in flames during the performance in front of the audience.
According to the latest report from a military official quoted by Reuters, the two pilots on board tragically lost their lives.
Around 3 pm that afternoon, the F-4AUP “Phantom” two-seater fighter jet (serial number 01504) belonging to the 117th Combat Wing, 338th Squadron of the Hellenic Air Force (HAF), lost control while performing a low-altitude maneuver at the Tanagra Air Base, about 60 kilometers north of Athens, before crashing and bursting into flames.
The Greek National Broadcasting Corporation (ERT), through reporters on the scene, revealed that the accident occurred a few minutes after the start of the Greek Air Force performance. The aircraft completed a turn at low altitude and attempted to recover to a normal, straight and level flight when it suddenly lost altitude, subsequently hitting the ground and breaking into two pieces, with a huge black smoke rising rapidly at the scene.
This harrowing scene was witnessed by thousands of spectators attending the event. The crash site was located in the Tanagra industrial area outside the runway and near the woods. Fortunately, no injuries were reported among the spectators as nearby factories were not operational at the time of the incident.
Immediately after the accident, Greek authorities dispatched 85 firefighters and 11 rescue aircraft (including firefighting helicopters) to conduct aerial water spraying to contain the two fires at the scene. Following the accident, Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias urgently left Tanagra to return to Athens, and the organizers promptly halted the air show and evacuated the spectators.
The “Athens Flying Week” 2026 was scheduled to take place from September 5 to 6, featuring military aircraft and aerobatic teams from Greece and various countries. The aircraft involved in the crash had successfully completed a rehearsal flight of the entire aerobatic performance on the previous day (September 4), known as the “Media Day.” The detailed cause of the crash is still pending further investigation by the Greek military.
Greece is one of the few countries in the world still using the F-4 Phantom fighter jet (which has been in service for over 50 years). Following this incident, the number of F-4 aircraft in the Hellenic Air Force has now decreased to 16.
Greece is also a future operator of the F-35A Lightning II. In addition to the 20 aircraft already contracted for purchase, there are discussions underway to potentially expand the order.