Greek F-4 crashes during air show near Athens, two pilots dead, sources say

ATHENS, Sept 5 — A Greek two-seat F-4 Phantom ​fighter jet crashed on Saturday during an air show at Tanagra air ‌base north of Athens, killing the pilots, two officials ⁠told Reuters.

"Unfortunately the ​two pilots are dead," ⁠one of the officials said, adding that ‌the Phantom ‌crashed about two kilometres outside the airport and ⁠there were no ⁠reports of injuries to any bystanders or residents in the wider area.

Footage from public broadcaster ERT showed the F-4 performing a right turn a few ‌meters above the ground ​seconds before it crashed and erupted into a fireball. Eleven firefighting aircraft and helicopters were operating to contain the fire that spread to the nearby forest.

"We were all stunned. It hadn't been airborne for more ​than three minutes," an eyewitness told ‌ERT.

Loudspeakers at the ‌air ⁠base were urging people to leave the area. The F-4 was participating in the Athens Flying Week, an annual event ‌that attracts military ​and civilian aviation teams ‌from dozens of ⁠countries.

(Reporting ​by Lefteris PapadimasEditing by Tomasz Janowski and Toby ​Chopra)

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