A Greek air force pilot who flew Canadair firefighting planes and a passenger were killed Sunday when their single-engine aircraft crashed in northern Greece, authorities said.
The plane went down in a dry riverbed near the village of Kontariotissa, in the Pieria region near Mount Olympus, shortly after taking off from a local flying club.
The pilot, 41, owned the aircraft. He held the rank of squadron leader and served with the air force's 113th Combat Wing in Thessaloniki, Katerini's deputy mayor said.
The passenger was a 58-year-old blacksmith. Their names were not released.
The plane left the Pieria Aero Club at 12:50 p.m. for a local flight. About 50 minutes later, a resident called police to report the crash in farmland near the airfield.
Rescuers found both men unconscious outside the wreckage. Ambulance crews took them to Katerini General Hospital, where they were pronounced dead.
The crash did not cause a fire. Authorities have opened an investigation into the cause.
Canadair pilots are central to Greece's efforts against wildfires, which have grown more frequent and destructive in recent summers.