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Two Greek Pilots Killed in Albacete NATO Base [Video]

The-Two-Greek-Pilots-KilledA day of mourning for the Hellenic Air Force. Two young, very experienced pilots lost their lives yesterday while on duty on a NATO exercise in Albacete, Spain, when their Greek Air Force two-seater F-16D Block 50 fighter jet crashed into an airport hangar shortly after the take-off, killing eight more people and injuring 19. According to local sources the eight dead are all pilots of the French Air Force.
The Greek Defense Ministry said that the accident was a result of fuel retention in the engine, however, it is also being investigated as to whether the Greek pilot made a maneuver error during take-off. The co-pilot reportedly tried to use his parachute, but was also killed by the impact.
Early this morning, the Hellenic Air Force General Staff published the names of the two Greek pilots killed in the NATO air base of Albacente in southern Spain. Flight lieutenants Panagiotis Laskaris 35, husband and father of one, and Athanasios Zagas, 32, husband and father of two lost their lives.
The pilots were in Spain participating in the year’s First Air Educational Series of the NATO’s Tactical Leadership Program (TLP). According to the same source, they were both very experienced and had more than 1,100 flight hours, some 500 of which in F-16 fighter jets. The ill-fated aircraft arrived in Greece, November 1997 and had completed around 4,000 flight hours.
Greece’s new Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, was instantly informed of the situation and contacted the current Defense Minsiter, Nikos Dendias. In a statement issued after the tragic accident Mr. Dendias said that “we would like to express our sorrow and pain for the tragic consequences of the crash of the aircraft of the Hellenic Aviation during an exercise with our friend and ally, Spain. At this time, our thoughts are with the families of the Greek officers as well as with the families of the victims, regardless of nationality.”

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