2 Greek fighter jets collide in mid-air; 1 dead

Two Greek fighter jets crashed in mid-air during a training exercise south of the island of Crete today, killing one of the three crew members and leaving the other two injured, the air force said.

Two Greek fighter jets crashed in mid-air during a training exercise south of the island of Crete on Thursday, killing one of the three crew members and leaving the other two injured, the air force said.

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The F-16 planes - one a single-seater and one a double-seater - had been part of a formation of four planes on a training mission when they collided over the sea off the southern coast of Crete in the early afternoon, the air force said.

Rescue crews recovered two of the pilots shortly after the crash and transported them to a nearby military hospital. One was listed in serious condition with a pierced lung, while the other did not have life-threatening injuries, the air force said.

The body of the third pilot was recovered from the sea more than two hours after the crash, the military said.