Two men were killed in Greece on Sunday 18 October when a light single-engine aircraft crashed into a dry riverbed near the village of Kontariotissa in the Pieria region, close to the runway of the local aero club, the Pieria Aero Club. That is according to the Hellenic Fire Service12. Both occupants were found unconscious outside the aircraft and were pronounced dead shortly afterwards at the hospital in Katerini34. The cause of the crash is not known2.

What is known about the accident

Kontariotissa lies about 9 km south of Katerini, the capital of Pieria, in northern Greece, within sight of Mount Olympus6. The fire service operations centre was alerted at around 1.50pm local time (10.50 UTC). Eight firefighters were sent to the scene with four vehicles. No fire broke out13. According to News247, police had been alerted at 1.40pm by a passer-by who saw an aircraft falling4. Firefighters handed the two men over to ambulance crews of EKAB, the Greek national ambulance service1.

Reports on the occupants differ. Greek public broadcaster ERT describes them as two experienced pilots aged 41 and 591. News247 gives their ages as 41 and 584, while the first reports described two Greek men aged between 55 and 602. The authorities have not released any names and have not said which of the two was flying the aircraft.

Little has been confirmed about the aircraft or the flight. The authorities refer only to a light single-engine aircraft. According to the Greek aviation website Flight.com.gr, the type, the registration, the phase of flight and any possible cause have not yet been made public. It has also not been confirmed by the authorities whether the aircraft belonged to the aero club or was simply operating from its unpaved strip5. Where the flight was heading and what its purpose was is not known.

What the authorities say

On Sunday the fire service limited itself to a factual account of its response. Proto Thema reports that the circumstances of the crash have not yet been established and that no further information from the authorities has been released2. News agency Xinhua, citing ERT and the fire service, also reports that the identities of the victims and the cause of the crash remain unclear3. Reporting up to Sunday afternoon contains no statement from the Greek air accident investigation authority.

How Greece investigates aviation accidents

Civil aviation accidents in Greece are investigated by the Hellenic Air and Rail Safety Investigation Authority (HARSIA), the independent investigation body for aviation and rail. Since Law 5014/2023, HARSIA has continued the work of the former Air Accident Investigation & Aviation Safety Board (AAIASB). Anyone can report an accident or serious incident, including by phone, at any time of day8.

The framework is European. Under Regulation (EU) No 996/2010, every accident or serious incident involving an aircraft that falls under the common EU aviation rules must be investigated in the Member State where it happened. For aircraft outside those rules, such as many ultralight aircraft, the investigation authority may decide for itself whether an investigation is worthwhile7. Which category applies here depends on the aircraft type, and that has not yet been made public.

Under the regulation, a safety investigation has a single purpose: preventing future accidents, without apportioning blame or liability. It is independent of any criminal proceedings. Where a judicial investigation runs alongside the safety investigation, the investigator-in-charge retains custody of the physical evidence7. The final report protects the anonymity of those involved and is published as soon as possible, within twelve months if it can be. If it cannot, the authority must release an interim statement at least on each anniversary of the accident, describing the progress of the investigation and any safety issues raised7.

Why this matters for pilots

The regulation places a duty on any person involved who has knowledge of an accident or serious incident to notify the investigation authority of the country where it happened without delay7. That includes pilots and club members who are first on the scene. The final reports published by European investigation authorities are public and contain safety recommendations where appropriate. For anyone learning to fly or active in general aviation, they are one of the best ways to learn from the experience of others.

The authorities have said nothing about the cause of the crash near Kontariotissa. That question is for the investigation.