Search and rescue operation to find the missing captain Phantomcrashed in the sea area south of Andravida airport, according to the latest information, will continue into the evening hours.

A C-130 aircraft, a Super Puma helicopter, an S-70 helicopter (helicopters will rotate at night) and Hellenic Coast Guard vessels operate in the area.

Co-pilot is dead

Afternoon, one of the two operators was found dead Phantom.

“On Monday, January 30, 2023, at 10:30 a.m., a two-seat F-4 Phantom II aircraft of the 338th Squadron, 117th Fighter Wing, performing a training flight, crashed in the sea 25 nautical miles south of the airport Andravidas, as a result of which the co-pilot, second in command (I) Marios – Michael Turutsika, aged 29, was mortally wounded. The investigation continues in relation to Captain Sminagos (I) Efstathios Tsitlakidis, aged 31.”

Chronicle of the Fall of the Ghost

The Phantom was performing a training scenario, performing a “small cruise flight” (300 ft/100 m) paired with another aircraft of the same type.

Under unspecified circumstances, it crashed in the sea area south of the Andravida airport. At noon, the wreckage of the plane was found.

The fact that another fighter jet was escorting him also led to the immediate location of the crash site. After all, the second “Phantom” immediately after the fall remained in place and therefore the reaction to the rescue operation was immediate, since the first helicopter took off in a few minutes.

Two Air Force AB-205 helicopters, a Navy S-70 helicopter, as well as Coast Guard ships flew into the area, and the C-130 is also on maximum alert.

Mitsotakis: Motherland will not forget him

Japanese Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his condolences to the family of Lieutenant Colonel Marios-Michael Turutsikas, stressing that “the Motherland will not forget him.”

Mr Mitsotakis, in a Facebook post, said: “I was shocked to learn of the fighter jet crash and the death of co-pilot Lt Gen Marios – Michael Turutsikas as the investigation continues, the location of the captain continues. This is a tragic accident while on duty in an extremely difficult training environment. What plunges the Air Force into mourning and reminds us all how difficult and dangerous the battle that our pilots fight every day, protecting the air of our Motherland. My sincere condolences to the flight commander’s family. The motherland will not forget him.”

Three days of mourning in the Armed Forces

Three days of military mourning from today to February 2, 2023 was declared in the Armed Forces by order of the Minister of National Defense Nikos Panagiotopoulos after the crash of the Phantom.

The Minister of National Defense said in a statement: “While the search for the captain continues, we express our sadness and grief at the loss of the co-pilot following the crash of a fighter jet during an exercise in Andravida. Our thoughts are with the family of the lieutenant pilot, to whom we express our support and sincere condolences.”