The pilot of the 120 Air Training Wing training plane that crashed in Kalamata on Wednesday morning (27/12) has passed away.

Videos that had earlier come to light showed explosions being heard from the crash site.

As the Hellenic Air Force announced in a statement, on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, at 11:28, a T-2E Buckeye aircraft of the 120 Air Training Wing/363 Air Training Squadron, crashed while on a return training flight, half a nautical mile northwest of Kalamata Airport.

A search-rescue operation is underway, while the fire service and the National Emergency Centre are mobilized.

The crash took place under unclear circumstances 500 meters north of the airport gate, near the village of Ari in Mikromani. The two-seater aircraft, which was on a training flight, crashed shortly before landing.

The T-2 Buckeye is the only training jet of the Hellenic  Air Force. The graduates of the Hellenic Air Force Academy and the new Pilot Officers complete their training with the said aircraft.

The T-2E can carry up to 3500 lb of ordnance on 6 carriers, including machine guns and rocket pods. It can be used for training with ammunition, but also take on a combat role, if required, coated in green, brown, and white.

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