A Hellenic Air Force F-16 fighter jet made an emergency crash landing at Zakynthos Airport on Thursday, forcing the closure of one of Greece’s busiest airports during the summer travel season.
According to the Hellenic Air Force, the aircraft was on a training flight when it developed a technical problem and landed at about 1:45 p.m. local time (10:45 GMT).
The air force said the pilot was unharmed and that an investigation into the cause of the incident is underway.
Greek media reported that the aircraft received a warning of an onboard fire before landing and caught fire after touching down, prompting an emergency response from firefighters and airport personnel.
Αναγκαστική προσγείωση F-16 στο αεροδρόμιο της Ζακύνθου pic.twitter.com/pbceDCzXuD
— Kathimerini_Web (@KathimeriniWeb) July 9, 2026
According to Kathimerini, the fighter jet landed without deploying its landing gear and slid dozens of meters along the runway.
The Hellenic Air Force has not commented on those reports.
Videos shared on social media showed the aircraft on fire as firefighters worked to extinguish the flames.
The air force said the jet belongs to the 335 Squadron of the 116th Combat Wing, based at Araxos Air Base in western Greece.
Hellenic Air Force F-16 performed a gear-up landing at Dionysios Solomos (ZTH) airport on the Greek island of Zakynthos due to a landing gear malfunction today.
The F-16 caught fire on the ground and the pilot safely egressed without ejecting. pic.twitter.com/blKgZGseP2
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) July 9, 2026
The runway was closed after the incident, causing flight delays. The airport’s arrival and departure boards showed all remaining flights scheduled for Thursday were delayed until 9 p.m., including several that had originally been scheduled to depart much earlier.
The incident occurred at the start of the summer holiday season, when thousands of tourists, mainly from the United Kingdom, travel to the island each week.
A specialized Hellenic Air Force team was expected to travel to Zakynthos to remove the aircraft from the runway and help restore normal airport operations.
