Air force jet crashes during annual air show in Greece in front of stunned crowd

A GREEK fighter jet has crashed during an air show watched by several thousand spectators at an air force base near Athens. Shocking footage showed plumes of black smoke rising from the crash site, a few hundred metres from a stunned crowd. Smoke rises after a Phantom F-4 military jet crashed during the Athens Flying Week air show Credit: AFP The incident occurred at Athens Flying Week at Tanagra air force base Credit: Reuters Two helicopters were battling the fire on the spot. There were no immediate reports of injuries among attendees following the crash of the twin-seat Phantom F4 jet. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Air force officials said it was not immediately clear whether pilots had managed to eject before the crash. “A search and rescue operation is under way,” the official added. Spectators were evacuated from the airfield and smoke filled the sky Credit: Reuters There were no immediate reports of injuries among attendees Credit: Reuters A water-dropping helicopter hovered over the crash site to contain the fire on the ground. According to initial reports, the aircraft has been cut in two with a fire igniting in two separate places. The incident occurred at Athens Flying Week, an annual air show, at Tanagra air force base. According to local media, the plane crashed shortly after it began its display. Most read in The Sun Smoke could be seen streaming from the jet before it suddenly lost altitude and plummeted to the ground, eyewitnesses told Greek outlet Oema. Around 85 firefighters were deployed to the scene in 23 emergency vehicles. Seven aircraft and four helicopters have also been mobilised to tackle the blaze from the sky. Event organisers immediately began evacuating the area, with the show suspended. It comes just weeks after a horror helicopter crash killed Brit newlyweds honeymooning on the Greek island of Sifnos. Alexander Cromie, 31, and Marie Ebert, 30, died alongside a Greek pilot after footage showed the aircraft hurtling towards the ground before exploding in a fireball. The couple had opted to take a 40 minute helicopter hop to their island honeymoon retreat from Markopoulo near Athens rather than a ferry trip lasting up to five hours. Both Brits and the pilot – former air force pilot and father-of-three Giorgos Raikos, 55 – were confirmed dead when fire crew and emergency teams reached the blazing wreckage. A damaged rotor blade is suspected to have caused the tragic crash. Witnesses saw the Bell 206 spinning out of control, suggesting a tail rotor failure, before it plummeted to the ground. Alex was a vice president in private wealth solutions for US-based investment management company Blackstone. Marie landed her role as senior specialist in market reputation at top London firm Bain & Co last July after forging a career in asset management, private equity, and consulting. More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online Thesun.co.uk is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesun and follow us on TikTok @TheSun. Comment now