The two pilots of the F-4 Phantom that crashed in Tanagra are unconscioustranslated

The two pilots of the F-4 Phantom that crashed in Tanagra shortly before 3pm on Saturday during the Athens Flying Week were retrieved unconscious. Immediately after the crash, there was an explosion and a fire, while as ERTnews journalist Giorgos Kovos reported from the scene, shortly after takeoff, the aircraft suddenly began to lose height and fall to the ground. The display of Air Force aircraft had started just minutes before the crash in front of thousands of visitors.

The information has been cross-checked and official confirmation from the GEA is awaited. The Minister of National Defence, Nikos Dendias, and the Chief of the Air Force are hurrying back from Thessaloniki, while the President of the Republic also interrupts his schedule.

The Air Accident Investigation Board has already begun its work, with crucial footage from the organizers' cameras and the crew's conversations with the control tower.

According to estimates, the aircraft was maneuvering which may indicate that the operators realized that the Phantom was damaged and tried to steer it far enough…