Usagevpn.com – The annual Athens Flying Week air show was thrown into mourning on Saturday after a twin-seat McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter jet lost altitude mid-display and slammed into the ground at Tanagra air base, killing both pilots aboard. The aircraft was performing in front of thousands of spectators when it suddenly dropped from its flight path and struck the terrain, triggering an immediate explosion on impact. Officials confirmed the deaths of the two crew members shortly after the crash.

The incident unfolded during one of the most heavily attended aviation events in south-eastern Europe. Athens Flying Week, scheduled for 5 and 6 September this year, draws large crowds to Tanagra each year with its programme of tight-formation flying, high-G manoeuvres, and parachute descents. The Phantom F-4, a Cold War-era interceptor originally developed by McDonnell Douglas, has served in Greek Air Force squadrons for decades and remains a…