Two people were killed when a single-engine light aircraft crashed near the airstrip of the Pieria Aero Club in Kontariotissa, northern Greece, on Sunday October 18.
According to the Hellenic Fire Service, firefighters who rushed to the scene found both occupants dead outside the aircraft. The victims, aged 41 and 58, were both from the Pieria area.
The 41-year-old was reportedly an experienced pilot and a former vice president of the aero club. He had also flown Canadair firefighting aircraft, logging many flight hours, and according to Mega TV had taken part in firefighting operations in Spain. A father of four, he flew single-engine aircraft as a hobby. The 58-year-old, a theologian by profession, was his friend and often joined him on flights.
Speaking to Mega TV, the pilot’s devastated father said: “He had enormous experience. He was an Air Force pilot on the Canadairs, he owned two small planes and was running tests. And there at the airfield, as he was coming in to land, something went wrong. Something happened, and the plane went down.”
“He was a father of four. The oldest is 12, the others are very little,” he continued. “His wife and children live in Thessaloniki. He would come here on weekends. He was a good boy, hardworking and devout. He used to go to Mount Athos. I am lost.”
NEWSLETTER TABLE TALK
Never miss a story.
Subscribe now.
The most important news & topics every week in your inbox.
Residents of nearby villages gathered at the site, and one told thestival.gr: “I knew both victims; they’re from the neighboring village. I think they were friends. They flew often, almost every ten days. People heard a noise from the crash, but I saw it on TV and decided to come down here.”
The Fire Service operations center was alerted at around 1:50 p.m., and eight firefighters with four vehicles were dispatched. The aircraft was found in a dry riverbed a short distance from the airstrip. No fire broke out following the crash.