Greek F-16 fighter jet crash-lands at busy Zakynthos airport

A Hellenic Air Force F-16 fighter jet made an emergency crash landing at Zakynthos Airport on Thursday, forcing the temporary closure of one of Greece’s busiest holiday airports.

According to the Hellenic Air Force, the aircraft, which was on a training mission, landed at approximately 1:45 p.m. local time (10:45 GMT) after developing a technical problem.

The air force confirmed that the pilot escaped unharmed and said an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the incident.

Greek media reported that the pilot received a warning of a possible onboard fire before landing. The aircraft reportedly caught fire after touching down, triggering an emergency response from firefighters and airport personnel.

Reports also indicated that the fighter jet landed without deploying its landing gear, causing it to skid along the runway for several metres. The Hellenic Air Force has not officially confirmed those details.

Videos shared on social media showed the aircraft engulfed in flames as emergency crews worked to extinguish the fire.

The air force identified the aircraft as belonging to the 335 Squadron of the 116th Combat Wing based at Araxos Air Base in western Greece.

The runway was closed following the incident, disrupting airport operations and causing delays to scheduled flights. Airport information boards showed that all remaining arrivals and departures on Thursday had been postponed until 9:00 p.m., including flights originally scheduled to depart much earlier.

The disruption comes at the start of the peak summer travel season, when Zakynthos receives thousands of visitors each week, many of them arriving from the United Kingdom.

A specialised Hellenic Air Force team was expected to travel to the island to remove the damaged aircraft from the runway and help restore normal airport operations.

Source: BBC