According to reports, the two pilots of the Phantom that crashed in Tanagra were found unconscious shortly after 4 p.m. The pilots are members of the 117th Fighter Wing in Andravida. As soon as news of the fighter jet crash broke, Defense Minister Nikos Dendias cut short his schedule at the Thessaloniki International Fair and ishurriedly to Athens.
It
all happened around 3 p.m. during the Athens Flying Week air show in Tanagra when the two-seat Phantom (F-4) aircraft crashed.
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SEE ALSO: VIDEO: The moment the Phantom crashed during a demonstration at Athens Flying Week | AlphaNews
Authorities had no indication that the aircraft’s ejection mechanism had been activated. So far, there are no images from the team that has rushed to the scene to investigate. EKAV units rushed immediately to the crash site, where a fire broke out right away.
Watch video footage from the demonstration and the moment the Phantom aircraft crashed:
#Tanagra crash #Phantom Athens Flying Week 2026. pic.twitter.com/GEHQsnlToP
— Matheol (@SMatheol) September 5, 2026
The aircraft crashed shortly after beginning its demonstration, while hundreds of people were watching from a close distance. According to eyewitness accounts, the aircraft appeared to be emitting smoke before the crash. The same eyewitnesses report that the aircraft suddenly began to lose altitude and crashed.
Source: Proto Thema
