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F-16 emergency landing
A Hellenic Air Force F-16 fighter jet made an emergency landing at Zakynthos airport on Thursday after developing a technical fault during a training flight, and the runway was closed following the incident.
“landed at about 13:45 local time (10:45 GMT) on Thursday”
The BBC said the aircraft landed at about 13:45 local time (10:45 GMT) and that the pilot was "in good health" while the cause was being investigated.
The Telegraph reported that the F-16C Fighting Falcon malfunctioned during a training mission and was forced to divert to Zakynthos airport, where footage showed the aircraft engulfed in flames after crash landing.
FlightGlobal said the air navigation service issued a NOTAM stating that runway 16/34 was closed for "operational reasons" and that only helicopter flights for ambulance or government and military reasons were being accepted.
The BBC added that Greek media reported the jet landed without deploying its landing gear, causing it to slide dozens of metres along the runway, while firefighters and airport personnel responded as the aircraft burned on the runway.
Pilot, runway, and diversions
The BBC reported that the runway closure delayed arrivals and departures, with the airport's boards showing Thursday's remaining flights delayed until 21:00, including those scheduled to leave hours earlier.
FlightGlobal said the cause of the occurrence is being investigated and that the pilot survived and is "in good health," while the aircraft was part of the 335th Squadron of the 116th Fighter Wing.
The Times of India said the pilot managed to bring the multi-million dollar jet to a complete stop safely and walked away entirely uninjured, after visible flames erupted beneath the fuselage.
eKathimerini reported that the runway would remain closed until at least 7 p.m. Thursday and that the pilot was taken by military helicopter to the 117th Combat Wing in Andravida for precautionary medical checks.
The Telegraph said the runway closure delayed flights for seven hours during the peak summer holiday season and that scheduled flights were diverted to nearby locations, including Athens.
Investigation and summer impact
The Hellenic Air Force said the F-16 was participating in a training flight and made an emergency landing at Zakynthos Airport due to a malfunction, and officials launched an investigation into what caused the emergency landing and subsequent fire.
“The runway on the Ionian island was closed after the incident, delaying flights for seven hours”
The BBC said a specialist air force team was expected to travel to the Ionian island to remove the aircraft from the runway and allow airport operations to resume.
FlightGlobal said Zakynthos airport typically handles around 2.2 million passengers annually and described the disruption as happening as the airport entered its peak travel season.
The Telegraph reported that the damaged fighter jet remained under military examination while the runway stayed closed and crews secured the scene and cleared the runway.
The Aviationist said the NOTAM closing Zakynthos’ runway to all but approved medical, government, and military helicopters was issued at 12:10 UTC, as flights scheduled to arrive were diverted to nearby locations including Athens, Corfu, and Thessaloniki.
