09.07.2026 16:20
A Greek Air Force F-16 fighter jet caught fire in mid-air. The pilot managed to land the F-16 on the island of Zakynthos. However, the landing gear failed to deploy, and the jet landed on its fuselage, turning into a fireball in the middle of the runway. The pilot survived the incident. The moments were captured on a mobile phone camera.
A Greek Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon fighter jet caught fire in the air due to a technical malfunction during flight. The fighter jet made an emergency landing at Zakynthos International Airport.
THE BURNING AIRCRAFT WAS DIRECTED TO A CIVILIAN AIRPORT
The F-16, learned to be on a training flight, was directed to the civilian airport on the island in southern Greece after the malfunction. According to information received from airport authorities, as the aircraft touched down, the landing gear did not deploy, and the plane landed on its fuselage. At that moment, flames erupted from the underside of the fuselage.
TURNED INTO A FIREBALL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RUNWAY
The fighter jet, which turned into a fireball in the middle of the runway within seconds, was intervened by airport firefighting teams pre-positioned at the scene, bringing the flames under control within seconds. The pilot emerged from the incident unscathed and is reported to be in good health.
The civilian airport was briefly closed to air traffic due to the fire. After teams cleaned the runway, flight operations resumed.