Mirage jet crash revives fleet fears

A 28-year-old Hellenic Air Force pilot sustained minor injuries Monday after ejecting from a Mirage 2000 fighter jet south of the Sporades islands group, but the incident brought to the fore the issue of old and malfunctioning aircraft currently in use.

According to most initial assessments by experienced military officials, the Mirage crashed because of a malfunctioning engine which the pilot was unable to restart. The 28-year-old pilot was in a military hospital Monday with a dislocated shoulder, which he sustained while ejecting from the aircraft.

He had taken off from Tanagra Air Base, north of Athens, in the morning on a routine training exercise, but was forced to abandon the Mirage at around 12.25 p.m. after the engine stopped working. He was picked up by a Super Puma rescue helicopter.

Monday's crash is the latest in a string of such incidents...

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