Greek Air Force counts 125 deaths in 81 incidents since 1990

The death of a Greek fighter jet pilot on Thursday whose Mirage 2000-5 crashed into the sea north of the central Aegean island of Skyros after returning from a mission to intercept Turkish jets is a grim reminder of the deadly tally incurred by the Hellenic Air Force in the last few decades.

According to available data, the Air Force has mourned the loss of 125 people in 81 plane crashes that occurred for various reasons in the line of duty in the period from 1990 to 2018.

Fourteen F-4 fighter jets, thirteen Mirage 2000 — like the one that crashed on Thursday — thirteen A-7 Corsair, twelve F-16 fighter jets, six F-1 and two C-130 have been lost over three decades.

Sixty-three out of the 125 dead lost their lives at the crash of an C-130 at Mount Othrys in February 1991 as it flew from Elefsina to Nea Anchialos' military airport, near Volos.

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