Tanagra Phantom F-4 had passed all required checks and was making a flyby, not an air show display

The Phantom F-4 that crashed during Athens Flying Week at Tanagra had completed all required maintenance and inspection procedures, according to sources cited by Ta Nea, which said the aircraft was fully airworthy.

The crash killed the two experienced pilots of the Greek Air Force’s 348 Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Ioannis Blesias, 40, and Dimitris Petrou, 37. Investigations into the causes of the crash remain under way.

The aircraft’s role at Athens Flying Week 2026 was a flyby, not an air show performance. The report said the actual display was performed by the Zeus demonstration team using F-16 aircraft. It also rejected the idea that the F-4’s age should be treated as an issue, noting that aircraft from the Second World War and even the First World War take part in similar events in Greece and abroad.

Athens Flying Week has been held since 2012. A 10-year memorandum of cooperation between the Hellenic Air Force General Staff and Athens Flying Week was signed on December 6, 2017. The report said the Greek Air Force was invited this year to participate in 30 international air shows, 18 of which are mainly organized by private companies.