On Thursday, July 9, 2026, a Hellenic Air Force (HAF) F-16C Fighting Falcon executed a dramatic emergency belly landing at Zakynthos International Airport (Dionysios Solomos) after experiencing a severe mid-flight technical malfunction. The fighter jet, assigned to the 335th Squadron of the 116th Combat Wing, had originally departed from Araxos Air Base for a routine training mission over the Ionian Sea when the pilot reportedly received an onboard engine fire warning. Forced to divert immediately to the nearest available airstrip, the pilot managed to touch down at approximately 1:45 p.m. local time with the aircraft's landing gear fully retracted. The violent friction of the jet skidding on its belly across the asphalt intensified the existing fire, sending a thick column of black smoke into the air and engulfing the airframe in flames on the tarmac.

Despite the harrowing landing, the pilot maintained control of the multi-million dollar aircraft until it came to a complete stop, allowing him to exit the cockpit entirely on his own and walk away uninjured. Airport emergency services, which had been placed on high alert prior to the touchdown, responded within seconds, dousing the burning fighter jet with tons of water and specialized foam to prevent an explosion and protect the aircraft's primary structure. While the pilot was later airlifted by military helicopter to Andravida for precautionary medical checks, the incident caused massive disruptions on the ground. As Zakynthos is a single-runway airport operating at the peak of its summer tourist season, the runway was completely closed for over seven hours to accommodate a specialized military recovery team, forcing major airlines like British Airways, TUI, and easyJet to cancel or divert dozens of holiday flights to Athens and Corfu. The Hellenic Air Force has since launched an official investigation to determine the exact technical failure that triggered the fire.