{"id":149173,"date":"2026-07-09T20:40:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T15:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/?p=149173"},"modified":"2026-07-09T20:30:56","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T15:00:56","slug":"greek-f-16-pilots-makes-belly-landing-at-zakynthos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aviationa2z.com\/index.php\/2026\/07\/09\/greek-f-16-pilots-makes-belly-landing-at-zakynthos\/","title":{"rendered":"Greek F-16 Pilots Makes Emergency Belly Landing at Zakynthos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

ATHENS\u2014<\/strong> A Hellenic Air Force fighter pilot brought a stricken F-16<\/a> down on its fuselage at Zakynthos International Airport (ZTH) on Thursday afternoon after the jet’s landing gear failed to extend during a training flight. The pilot walked away unharmed, and officials confirmed the aircraft suffered a technical malfunction that remains under investigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The single-seat fighter had taken off from Araxos Air Base (GPA) in the northwestern Peloponnese before the fault forced a diversion across the Ionian Sea to the island airport. Greek reports indicate a suspected fuel leak triggered the emergency<\/a>, prompting the pilot to shut down the engine and execute a wheels-up belly landing on foam-covered tarmac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Greek
Photo: WikiImages – pixabay.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Greek F-16 Emergency Landing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Hellenic Air Force confirmed the emergency landing took place around 1:45 p.m. local time. Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Konstantinos Gravalos told reporters the jet experienced an unspecified malfunction and that the pilot “is in good health.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aircraft belonged to the 335th Squadron of the 116th Combat Wing, based at Araxos Air Base. It had departed for a routine training exercise before the fault developed, forcing the pilot to divert to Zakynthos, an island airport roughly 100 km (62 miles) south of Araxos across the Ionian Sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greek broadcaster ERT and several local outlets reported that the aircraft appeared to catch fire before or during the landing sequence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Video posted online captured the moments immediately following the emergency landing of a Hellenic Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon today at Zakynthos International Airport in Southern Greece, with flames seen under the aircraft being quickly being extinguished by firefighters at\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/2dGQqE3J7y<\/a><\/p>— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) July 9, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>