Two men were killed on Sunday, October 18, when a small single-engine plane crashed near the village of Kontariotissa in Pieria, northern Greece, according to local authorities.
The victims were reportedly experienced pilots from neighboring villages. Both were found unconscious at the crash site and later pronounced dead at a hospital.
According to the Greek Fire Service, the aircraft came down in a dry riverbed near the Pieria Flying Club’s airstrip in the Xerolakki area. No fire broke out following the impact.
Emergency services were alerted at approximately 1:50 p.m., prompting the dispatch of firefighters and ambulance crews.
Emergency Crews Respond to Crash
Eight firefighters with four vehicles were sent to the scene after the Fire Service Operations Center received notification of the accident.
Upon arrival, firefighters found the two occupants outside the wreckage, both unconscious. They moved the men to a safe location, where they were transferred to ambulance crews from Greece’s National Emergency Aid Center (EKAB).
The victims were taken to a hospital, where doctors confirmed their deaths.
The Fire Service completed its operation on Sunday afternoon.
The crash occurred near the local flying club’s runway, although authorities have not established whether the aircraft was taking off, attempting to land or flying over the area when it went down.
The identities of the two men have not been officially released, and no further details have been provided about the aircraft’s flight or the circumstances of the accident.
Cause of Accident Under Investigation
The cause of the crash has not been determined. Authorities have not announced any preliminary findings concerning possible mechanical problems, weather conditions or other factors.
The accident follows another fatal aviation incident in Greece earlier this year.
On September 5, two Hellenic Air Force pilots were killed when an F-4E Phantom II fighter jet crashed near Tanagra during Athens Flying Week.
That incident involved a military fighter aircraft rather than a single-engine civilian plane.
The Pieria crash site is located near the flying club’s airstrip in Xerolakki, where emergency crews recovered the two occupants on Sunday afternoon.
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