A Hellenic Air Force F-16 fighter jet crashed into the sea south of Chalkidiki, in the northern Aegean Sea, on Wednesday morning. The pilot was rescued and taken to the island of Lemnos for first aid, and from there he will be transferred to the 251st Aviation Hospital.
Fighter crash F-16 Block 52+ occurred at 13:29 in the area of the islet of Psathura, between Halkidiki and the Sporades island of Alonissos. The pilot managed to eject from the plane and was later lifted aboard the rescue team’s Super Puma helicopter.
The plane took off from the 337th Squadron, 110th Fighter Wing. The F-16 that crashed was a Block 52+ version and belonged to the 337th Squadron in Larissa. There are two more squadrons with fighters of this type, which belong to the 115 IAP and are located at the Suda base. We are talking about 50 F-16s purchased by the Simitis government by decision ΚΥΣΕΑ in 1999, their delivery began in 2003. There was an option for 10 more fighters, which was canceled by the Karamanlis government in retaliation for surveillance through Vodafone.
The F-16 Block 52+ is the only fighter jet with optional conformal tanks, which increase range but reduce maneuverability because the Americans refused to offer a more powerful engine.
A few minutes after the crash, the IAP issued a statement:
“On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 1:29 p.m., a single-seat F-16 Block 52+ aircraft from the 337th Squadron, 110th Fighter Wing (FM), on a training flight, crashed into the sea near Psatur.A search and rescue operation is underway to find the pilot. “One Super Puma helicopter from Combat Squadron 130, one Navy S-70 helicopter, one CL-415 from the 113th Marine Division and the frigate USS Aegean are deployed to the area, and one C-130 is on maximum alert.”
More Stories
The boy in whose hands the firecracker exploded was taken to the hospital
Incredible incident in Corfu: a clay jug fell on a woman's head
At noon on Holy Saturday, a 41-year-old Georgian man was shot dead on the street of Thessaloniki (video)