Two Greek fighter jets crashed in mid-air during a training exercise south of the island of Crete on Thursday, killing one of the three crew members and leaving the other two injured, the Greek air force said.
The pain due to the tragic death of a pilot of the Greek Air Force while on duty is deep.
The F-16 planes – one a single-seater and one a double-seater – had been part of a formation of four planes on a training mission when they collided.
Rescue crews recovered two of the pilots shortly after the crash and transported them to a nearby military hospital.
One was listed in serious condition with a pierced lung, while the other did not have life-threatening injuries, the air force said.
The body of the third pilot was recovered from the sea more than two hours after the crash, the military said.
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou expressed the government’s and the nation’s sorrow over the deadly mid-air crash.
“The pain due to the tragic death of a pilot of the Greek Air Force while on duty is deep. On behalf of the Greek government I express condolences to the victim’s family. Our thoughts, at these difficult times, are with them, as well as with the two pilots which are hospitalized. We wish them a quick recovery,” said Papandreou.
