F-4 Phantom crashes during Athens airshow as pilots’ fate unclear

An F-4 Phantom military aircraft crashed Saturday at a base outside Athens during an airshow, Greek news agency ANA reported.

The circumstances of the crash were unclear, as was the fate of the two pilots aboard, local media said.

The aircraft had just taken off when it suddenly lost altitude and crashed, said a journalist from public broadcaster ERT who was at the scene.

There was an explosion immediately after the crash, which happened before thousands of visitors watching the annual “Athens Flying Week”.

A fire service helicopter was dispatched to the scene to extinguish the blaze caused by the crash, ERT reported.

Defence Minister Nikos Dendias cancelled a trip to Thessaloniki’s International Fair to visit the scene of the accident.

AFP