2 pilots dead as plane crashes fighting wildfires in Greece.

Two Greek air force pilots were killed in a plane crash while fighting raging wildfires in their country on Tuesday — and the tragic scene was captured on local TV. Footage showed the Canadair CL-215 plane flying low and dumping water over flames before the aircraft suddenly turned, crashed into a hillside and burst into flames on the island of Evia, east of Athens. The pilots were identified by Greek officials as Christos Moulas, 34, and his co-pilot, Pericles Stefanidis, 27, officials said. Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said the pilots died “in the line of duty… while attempting to protect the lives and property of citizens, as well as the environment of our country.”

A video of the accident sequence shows that the float on the right-hand wing tip struck a tree and broke off before the aircraft turned right and impacted terrain, bursting into flames.
The aircraft was attached to the 355th Tactical Transport Squadron of the 112th Combat Wing of the Greek Air Force.

Separately, a 41-year-old stockbreeder who had been missing since Sunday was found dead in a shack in a tough-to-reach area of the island, State broadcaster ERT reported. The deaths are the first reported in Greece as hundreds of firefighters, aided by Turkish and Slovakia forces, battle wildfires raging on the islands of Rhodes, Corfu and Evia for nearly a week as the Mediterranean suffocates under an intense heat wave. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told ministers on Tuesday that conditions could possibly improve by Thursday.

“All of us are standing guard,” he said. “In the face of what the entire planet is facing, especially the Mediterranean which is a climate change hot-spot, there is no magical defense mechanism.”

Scorching temperatures could reach as high as 111 degrees Fahrenheit (44 degrees Celsius) in some areas of Greece mid to late week.

Aircraft Information:

Operator: Elleniki Polemikí Aeroporía

Aircraft: Canada CL-25 1A10

Registration: 1055

Serial Number: 1055

Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney R-2800-83AM

First Flew: 1979

Age: 44 Years

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO THE IMMEDIATE FAMILY, FRIENDS AND THE STAFF AT THE GREEK AIR FORCE.