The entire nation is in shock over the aviation tragedy caused by the crash of the Phantom in Tanagra during Athens Flying Week. The pilots, 40-year-old Senior Captain Ioannis Blesias and 37-year-old Captain Dimitrios Petrou, lost their lives at noon on Saturday, May 5,9 when the aircraft crashed southeast of the 114th Combat Wing.
The authorities’ investigation is in full swing, with the two pilots’ communications with the control tower and footage from the cameras under close scrutiny.
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Crash footage and communications with the control tower under scrutiny
The two pilots did not have time to eject from the aircraft. According to the latest information, there was no time to activate the ejection system. At the same time, investigators are examining whether the pilots attempted to steer the aircraft away from populated areas and from the crowd gathered at the Tanagra Air Base.
A critical question is why the Phantom lost altitude so abruptly during the right turn. Important evidence will be gleaned from the videos that recorded the fatal flight from different angles. The Aviation Accident Investigation Commission has access to footage from the organizers’ cameras, television crews, and private individuals.
Also of interest are the conversations between the two pilots and the control tower, to determine whether any malfunction or other problem was reported prior to the crash.
Of particular importance is the reconstruction of the point of impact and the distribution of debris, in order to determine as accurately as possible what happened before the crash.
Data and Scenarios Regarding the Phantom Crash in Tanagra
Aviation safety expert Manousos Trachalakis stated that the only fact that can be said with certainty at this time is that there was a maneuver at very low altitude, followed by a descent toward the ground, from which the aircraft was unable to recover.
However, as he explained to Open, analysis of the video footage alone is not sufficient to determine whether the incident was preceded by a technical malfunction, a loss of power, a loss of control, or human error.
The authorities’ work is complicated by the fact that this particular aircraft does not have a flight data recorder, i.e., a “black box.”
One of the key questions that arises is whether an automated system could have prevented the crash. Mr. Trachalakis noted that modern third-generation aircraft, such as the F-16 and F-35, are equipped with systems that detect an imminent collision with the ground. These systems can automatically intervene, correct the aircraft’s attitude, and return it to a safe altitude.
However, he made it clear that they are not a panacea. If the speed or rate of descent is too high, even the most advanced systems may not be able to prevent a crash in time.
As for the Phantom, the first aircraft of this type were delivered after 1974. Despite their age, they have undergone upgrades that allow them to fly safely. However, they do not have modern automatic collision-avoidance systems.
Mr. Trachalakis also noted the high risk involved in air shows, as fighter jets perform complex maneuvers at very low altitudes and close to the ground.
No definitive conclusions can be drawn at this time
Retired Air Force General and defense analyst Kostas Iatridis, discussed the possible scenarios that could explain the tragedy in Tanagra, while making it clear, however, that no definitive conclusions can be drawn at this time.
“There may have been a problem with the controls, preventing him from regaining control. The pilot himself may have had a health issue—and we must not rule that out. And of course, we must not rule out the possibility of a CFIT, that is, a Controlled Flight into Terrain—a controlled flight until impact. What is that? It is a situation in which the pilot loses spatial awareness or spatial orientation.”
As he explained, “at that moment, the pilot does not have a complete understanding of how the aircraft is moving in relation to its surroundings or the ground—that is, what its angle of attack is, what its speed is, or what its course is. In other words, the pilot perceives one thing, while something else is actually happening with the aircraft.”
Tanagra: The Phantom may have experienced a loss of lift
The assessment that the F-4 Phantom II may have experienced a loss of lift while performing a particularly demanding maneuver was expressed by aviation accident expert and former Army Air Force pilot , Pantelis Fragkoulis, expressed the assessment that the F-4 Phantom II may have lost lift while performing a particularly demanding maneuver.
Mr. Fragoulis emphasized, however, that it is still too early to draw definitive conclusions, as the exact causes of the crash are being investigated by the Air Force’s relevant committee.
Analyzing footage from the fatal flight, Mr. Fragoulis explained to ERT that the aircraft was performing a difficult maneuver at a very low altitude.
“The aircraft was diving at high speed while simultaneously turning in order to approach the runway. During this turn, I believe it may have lost lift,” he said.
Loss of lift occurs when the wings no longer generate the lift necessary to keep the aircraft in the air. At low altitudes, the time available to react and regain control is extremely limited.
Mr. Fragoulis also expressed the view that the two pilots remained on board, trying until the very last moment to steer the aircraft away from spectators and residential areas.
“The pilots did not want the aircraft to crash into people or homes. I believe they tried until the very last moment to save it and steer it away,” he noted.
Regarding the fact that the ejection system did not activate, Mr. Fragoulis stated that the very low altitude and the attempt to control the aircraft’s course may have been decisive factors. He noted, however, that this factor would also need to be confirmed by the official investigation.
“Our pilots carry out difficult missions and intercepts in the Aegean Sea every day, with self-sacrifice and a sense of responsibility. They are the people who defend our homeland, even at the risk of their own lives,” he concluded.
The two pilots who lost their lives in the Tanagra incident were experienced
The two pilots of the ill-fated Phantom—40-year-old Senior Captain Ioannis Blesias and 37-year-old Captain Dimitrios Petrou— were highly experienced pilots with the 348th Tactical Air Force Squadron “Ares,” with more than 1,500 flight hours.
Ioannis Blesias lived in Pyrgos and was the father of a five-year-old boy.
Dimitrios Petrou was originally from Epirus and was the father of an infant. According to reports that emerged after the tragedy, his family was preparing for the christening of his five-month-old daughter in the coming days.
Source: In.gr
