A military jet crashed just minutes into its flight during an air show in Tanagra, Greece. A two-seat F-4 Phantom fighter jet plunged to the ground on Saturday at the military airport located near Athens, during a demonstration part of the Athens Flying Week 2026.
A column of thick black smoke could be seen rising from the ground where the jet is thought to have crashed, footage shared by public broadcaster ERT shows. The plume could be seen from miles away, with the show’s spectators looking in disbelief.
Around 85 firefighters rushed to the scene in 23 emergency vehicles to extinguish the fire, while spectators were asked to leave the scene for safety reasons, with the show now suspended.
According to initial reports, the crashed aircraft was split in two, with fires breaking out in two separate areas.
A water-dropping helicopter hovered over the crash site to contain the fire on the ground.
The fate of the people on board was not immediately known, and air force officials said it was still unclear whether the pilots had managed to eject before the aircraft crashed.
There were no injuries among the attendees.
“A search and rescue operation is under way,” an official added.
The plane crashed just minutes into its display, local media reports. The incident occurred at Athens Flying Week, an annual air show, at Tanagra air force base.
Athens Flying Week is the largest airshow in Southeastern Europe, with the event due to take place on September 5 and 6.
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