Photo/ The crash of an F-16 plane in Greece, how did the pilot escape alive?

Panagiotis Apostolakis' calmness and proper training proved to save his life when, during a training flight, the F16 Block 52+ fighter jet developed a problem and crashed yesterday afternoon in the sea area near Halkidiki and Alonissos near the island of Psathoura.

The 29-year-old pilot found a problem with the engine shortly before 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, which after several interruptions turned off and did not start again. Despite efforts by Panagiotis Apostolakis to restart the engine, this was not possible and as a result the pilot abandoned the aircraft using the ejection seat

At the 110th Fighter Wing, ejection seat maintenance technicians know the importance of their job, which requires high precision, as it plays a crucial role in the rescue and survival of the pilot when his options are exhausted, such as it happened in the case of Panagiotis Apostolakis.

Initially, the 29-year-old adjusted the seat to the correct position to ensure the safest possible extraction. Then, as control of the aircraft was lost, he activated the ejection procedure, where the canopy was first automatically removed. 

After the canopy was ejected, the ejection seat was ejected from the aircraft by the rocket engines located in its underside. The engines provided the necessary thrust so that the pilot and seat were launched some distance from the aircraft. Immediately after that, the parachute was activated, with which the pilot fell into the sea. Due to bad weather conditions, he waited 1.5 hours at sea for help to come to him, who had communication with the rescue crew.

Immediately after pulling them out of the sea, the 29-year-old pilot went to the 251st Air General Hospital and is expected to be released today in good health.

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