Second Greek fighter pilot dies after mid-air collision

ATHENS, Aug 29, 2010 (AFP) - A Greek fighter pilot has died of his injuries after a mid-air collision this week with another airforce plane that killed a fellow pilot, authorities said on Sunday.

The pilot died early on Sunday morning at a hospital on the island of Crete where he was taken after the accident on Thursday, the airforce said.

The collision between the two F-16 planes, a one- and two-seater respectively, happened south of the island of Crete during a fighting training session involving six aircraft, the air force high command said.

The third pilot survived.

Greek fighter pilots are in constant readiness over the Aegean Sea due to frequent incursions by Turkish warplanes into Greek-controlled airspace disputed by Turkey.

In a similar incident in 2006, a Greek pilot was killed when his plane collided with a Turkish jet during one of the regular mock dogfights in the area.

Thursday's accident is the second to hit Greece's armed forces in a month.

In July, two army pilots died when their Apache attack helicopter crashed near Athens.



(c) 2010 AFP