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A Greek Air Force F-16 fighter jet made an emergency landing and caught fire at Zakynthos International Airport on Thursday after experiencing a malfunction during a training flight.
In a written statement, the Greek Air Force said the aircraft experienced the issue at 1:45 p.m. local time and was forced to divert to the airport on Zakynthos Island in the Ionian Sea. The statement added that the pilot is in good health.
Lt. Col. Konstantinos Gravalos, spokesperson for the General Staff of the Greek Air Force, confirmed the jet was participating in a standard training mission when the unspecified malfunction occurred, reiterating that the pilot was uninjured.
According to Greek media reports, the aircraft had taken off from Araxos Air Base on the Peloponnese peninsula before experiencing a landing gear failure. The jet skidded along the runway and caught fire, prompting airport emergency vehicles to respond and extinguish the blaze.
Greek broadcaster CNN Greece reported that the pilot immediately notified the National Air Operations Center, the Tactical Air Force Command and the Araxos base of the problem after takeoff, and was instructed to land immediately at Zakynthos Airport.
Airport authorities were placed on high alert and canceled all flights following the notification.
Footage showed the aircraft engulfed in flames on the tarmac as emergency crews doused it with water.
The jet belongs to the 116th Combat Wing.
All flights at Zakynthos Airport, a major tourist hub, were canceled following the incident, with some flights redirected to other airports. The exact cause of the fire had not yet been determined.
Authorities were assessing the damage to the aircraft, which may have experienced a landing gear problem.
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