ATHENS: A Greek airforce pilot was killed on Wednesday in a training aircraft accident near the southern city of Kalamata. The pilot, aged 40, was on board a US-made T-2 Buckeye, which crashed near Kalamata airport upon its return from a solo training flight.
In an official statement, the airforce confirmed the accident, noting that the two-seat Buckeye aircraft had been a vital component of Greek cadet training for over four decades. However, plans were underway to phase out the Buckeyes following the acquisition of Italian-made M-346 aircraft in May.
Greek Airforce’s Training Aircraft Crash
The fatal incident occurred during the pilot’s final flight in the Buckeye, and tragically, his family was present at the scene during the accident, as reported by state TV ERT.
Greece’s association with the T-2 Buckeye dates back to 1976, when the model was first acquired. The aircraft has played a significant role in training generations of Greek aviators. Notably, this marks the second Buckeye crash in recent years, with another incident occurring in 2018, resulting in the loss of one of the two pilots.
