The crash of the F4E Phantom II of the 338 Squadron in Tanagra, on Saturday at 14:55 , killing First Lieutenant (I) I.M. and First Lieutenant (I) D.P. , opened an investigation that will last months.
The official announcement from the Air Force General Staff was simple and stated that the causes are being investigated by a competent Air Force committee . Until its findings, everything else remains at the level of indications. However, it is worth recording the questions that are raised precisely, because they will determine what will change in the future.
The first and most important concerns the turn itself. According to initial reports, the aircraft was in the air for at least two minutes and lost altitude while exiting a right turn . It is the phase of flight where a fighter is in a bank, with increased load and reduced margin, and any loss of power or energy translates directly into a loss of altitude.
The committee will examine the full range of possible causes, from mechanical failure or loss of thrust in one of the two engines , to failure of flight control systems, bird strike, human error and a combination of more than one factor, which is the most common scenario in air accidents.
The second question concerns the ejection . Reports indicate that the two pilots did not have time to use the system, while a spectator who recorded the scene described not seeing any parachute. Ejection seats have operating limits that depend on the height, speed and attitude of the aircraft. In low flight with a descending course and bank, the time window in which the ejection can save a crew shrinks to a few seconds. The investigation will show whether the system was activated and did not have time to complete its cycle or if it was not activated at all.
Here comes the most difficult question, the one that is not always answered by the flight recorders. The pilots allegedly tried to regain altitude knowing that there were a crowd of people below them. Whether the seconds they spent in this effort were the same seconds it would have taken to abandon the aircraft is something that only analysis of the flight data will come close to answering.
The third question is the most publicly discussed and at the same time the most misunderstood, the age of the fleet . The Greek Phantoms were ordered in 1972 and the first six landed at the 117th Fighter Wing on April 5, 1974, as part of the Peace Icarus program. In 1990, another 28 aircraft were transferred to Greece from the Indiana National Guard, while 36 aircraft were later modernized under the Peace Icarus 2000 program, which extended their operational life limit. Today, the 338th Squadron “ARIS” is the last operational Phantom Squadron of the Hellenic Air Force and the aircraft will continue to operate until they hand over the baton to the F35 . The age of a type, however, is not in itself a cause of an accident. The critical metrics are the specific aircraft’s flight hours, maintenance history, the condition of individual systems, and the availability of spare parts for a type that has been retired by most users worldwide. These are what the committee will look at, not the year of manufacture.
The fourth question concerns the air shows themselves. The aircraft crashed three nautical miles southeast of the 114th Fighter Wing, i.e. outside the spectator area, in an old agricultural machinery factory at the end of the runway, east of the National Highway. Two forty-year-old foreign workers were slightly injured by debris and were taken to the Chalkida Hospital. The fact that there were no casualties among the public does not close the discussion on protocols, the drawing of safety lines, minimum heights and the planning of maneuvers when there are residential or work facilities below the route. Especially, when this particular air show is not organized by the Air Force, but by… a private company!…
The fall caused a fire in a forest area, in an area that was already at very high risk. 115 firefighters with 36 vehicles , three groups of hikers from the 4th EMODE and two groups from the 1st and 7th EMAK, attempted to douse the flames, while nine aircraft and four helicopters operated periodically. Shortly after 16:30 the situation improved. Traffic was stopped in both directions at the junction of the side road of the New National Road Athens-Lamia with the provincial road Oinois. The demonstration area was evacuated after an announcement to the spectators.
On the political side, Minister of National Defense Nikos Dendias interrupted his program at the 90th TIF and returned to Athens, speaking of a loss that causes deep sadness. President of the Republic Konstantinos Tasoulas canceled an event in Methoni, Messinia, and returned to Athens, while New Democracy canceled its celebratory events in Thessaloniki. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ‘ speech at the TIF has not been postponed and is expected to open with a reference to the accident involving both pilots.
The conclusion will be late, as it always is in such investigations, and that is not a bad thing. Its value will be judged by whether it accurately answers what happened on that turn and whether its recommendations are incorporated into the operation of the last Phantoms and the design of future demonstrations.
