Dramatic footage shows part of the fighter jet on fire.

12:31, Thu, Jul 9, 2026 Updated: 12:44, Thu, Jul 9, 2026

Zakynthos crash landing

Horror moment fighter jet crash lands on tourist island hotspot after fire (Image: X)

This is the shocking moment a fighter jet is forced to crash land on an island popular with tourists after a fire. An F-16 fighter jet made an emergency landing at Zakynthos Airport on the Greek holiday island of Zakynthos after suffering a reported technical failure.

The military aircraft had taken off from Araxos when a fire reportedly broke out, forcing the pilot to divert and make an emergency landing on the island, according to CNN Greece. The pilot was safely rescued and is "safe and in good health", according to Greek state broadcaster ERT, while local media reported the aircraft came to a stop on the airport's runway. Emergency services responded immediately after the aircraft touched down, with fire crews working at the scene to secure the jet. The unscheduled landing also caused disruption at the busy holiday airport, with local outlet Ermis News reporting that flights were being cancelled while the runway remained affected.

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eKathimerini, one of Greece's oldest daily newspapers, reports that the jet, of the Hellenic Air Force, belongs to the 116th Combat Wing and had taken off from the Araxos Air Base, in northwestern Peloponnese.

The outlet reports that authorities are assessing the damage to the aircraft, which may have experienced a problem with the landing gear - thought this is yet to be verified officially.

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