Greek F-16 Crash Kills 11 During NATO Exercise

Bethany Whitfield

Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 10:01 PM ET

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Key Takeaways:

A Greek F-16 fighter jet crashed shortly after takeoff during a NATO exercise in Albacete, Spain, resulting in 11 fatalities and 20 injuries.
The jet crashed into a hangar housing other aircraft, triggering explosions and a massive fire that damaged at least five jets and several helicopters.
The deceased include the two Greek pilots and nine French nationals; the cause of the accident, potentially a loss of thrust, is under investigation, prompting Greece to declare a three-day mourning period.

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Eleven people were killed and close to two dozen more injured on Monday when a Greek F-16 crashed shortly after takeoff during a NATO exercise in Albacete, Spain.

The F-16 was taking off from Los Llanos Air Base around 3:30 p.m. local time when it crashed into a hangar housing French and Italian aircraft preparing to engage in the training exercise. The impact triggered several explosions and a massive fire that sent black smoke billowing into the sky. Emergency personnel were initially precluded from entering the area due to the possibility of fuel tank explosions, and once they gained access it took an hour to put out the flames.