After the Tanagra tragedy: who was responsible for the F-4 flights at a private air show

Death of two F-4 Phantom pilots at Athens Flying Week in Tanagra forced us to talk not only about the cause of the disaster itself, but also about How is the participation of the Greek Air Force organized? at a private commercial air show at one of the country’s key military bases.

September 5 Greek double F-4E Phantom II crashed during a demonstration performance at Athens Flying Week at Tanagra airbase. Both crew members were killed. After the tragedy, the Greek Ministry of National Defense declared three days of mourning in the Armed Forces. Relevant official message published by the Greek Ministry of Defense.

“Athens News” reported an F-4 crash in Tanagra immediately after the incident. Later we separately told about the history of the F-4 Phantom in the Greek Air Force.

Now another question arises: not only why did the plane crashbut also why and under what conditions did a military aircraft and combat crew participate in a private paid event?.

The cause of the disaster is yet to be determined

The technical cause of the accident must be determined by a special Air Force commission. International media reported that immediately before the crash, the plane was performing a maneuver at low altitude. Reuters cites eyewitness accounts of a low right turn, and Associated Press also writes about low-altitude maneuver.

But this in itself does not explain the cause of the disaster. It is too early to say that it was a pilot error, a technical malfunction or excessive complexity of the program.

At the same time, there are questions the answers to which do not require waiting for a final technical conclusion.

Athens Flying Week – private air show on a military base

Athens Flying Week is an international airshow that sells tickets to visitors, VIP packages and commercial services. The event is held on the territory of the Tanagra airbase.

On official website of the organizers The program, information for visitors, ticket categories and visiting conditions are published.

This is where the fundamental question arises: How is responsibility shared between the private airshow organizer and the Greek Air Force command, which provides the base, aircraft and crews?

It used to be different: “Archangel” was organized by the Air Force itself

There is a historical example of a different approach in Greece – an international airshow “Archangel 2005” (Αρχάγγελος 2005)which also took place in Tanagra, but was organized directly by the Hellenic Air Force.

The Greek publication wrote about the event in detail in.gr. At that time, demonstration flights, international participation and the general program were directly within the structure of the official Air Force event.

Today the model is different: Athens Flying Week is a separate project, and the site for it is an active military airbase.

This fact in itself does not mean a violation. But after the death of two military pilots, it becomes necessary to explain as clearly as possible who makes the final decisions on the flight program and the level of acceptable risk.

What questions now need answering?

1. Who approved the specific F-4 demonstration flight program?
2. Who set the minimum altitude and the list of permitted maneuvers?
3. Who on the Air Force side made the decision on the participation of a specific aircraft and crew?
4. How is responsibility legally divided between Athens Flying Week and the military command?
5. Who bears the operating costs – including fuel and maintenance of military equipment?
6. What additional restrictions does holding a mass event impose on the operation of a combat air base?

Tanagra is not a civilian airfield or a purpose-built air show site. This is the operating infrastructure of the Greek Air Force.

Therefore, the use of such a base for an event for which regular and VIP tickets are sold to spectators inevitably requires transparent rules of interaction between the state and the private organizer.

Was the F-4 program too risky?

A separate question concerns the nature of the Phantom’s flight itself.

Some Greek publications, including material published by Pronewsraise the question of how justified the complexity of the demonstration program was and who exactly approved it.

At the same time, there is no reason to assert that the low-altitude maneuver itself caused the disaster.

But video footage shows that the plane was actually performing a low-altitude demonstration in front of spectators. That is why the investigation will have to establish not only a technical malfunction or possible error, but also did the flight profile itself comply with the safety requirements of a mass event?.

After the tragedy the program was canceled

After the crash of the F-4, the Athens Flying Week program was discontinued. Information and updates from the organizers are published on official website of the airshow.

Canceling the remainder of the program after the death of the crew was the obvious solution. However, she does not answer questions about how the event was organized before the disaster.

Not an accusation, but a need for transparency

Until the investigation is completed, there is no reason to claim that the organizers of Athens Flying Week or the Air Force leadership are directly responsible for the cause of the disaster.

This should be determined by the commission.

But after the death of two military pilots, it is no longer enough to confine oneself to the statement that “an accident occurred during an air show.”

Society has the right to know what are the rules for state military equipment and crews participating in private paid events, who approves the demonstration flight program and how responsibility for safety is distributed.

If existing procedures have been fully followed, this must be shown openly. If the investigation reveals weaknesses, the Tanagra tragedy should prompt a review of these rules.

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