Air Tractor firefighting plane ditches off Astakos — pilot rescued
Pilot rescued after an Air Tractor scooped water near Astakos and went down; aircraft towed to Platygiali for recovery.
An Air Tractor firefighting aircraft belonging to Avialsa crashed into the sea while scooping water near Astakos, Greece; the sole pilot was rescued and is reported in good condition.
Rescue, tow and initial response
The incident occurred in the maritime area southeast of the port town of Astakos while the aircraft was collecting water to fight wildfires. The pilot, the only person on board, was pulled aboard a private boat and then transferred to a Coast Guard patrol vessel before being taken to the nearest port.
A post on Twitter by Iván Castro Palacios (@ivancp25) included technical details identifying the aircraft as an Air Tractor AT802AF (EC-LTN) operated by Avialsa; the message contained the marker "16-08-26" and was posted on August 17, 2026, noting that the pilot was uninjured, that the aircraft was taken to Platygiali, and that the aircraft had suffered damage to a float.
Local authorities dispatched three Coast Guard patrol vessels to the scene, and two private boats, Argo and Atlantis, together with the fishing vessel Panais, took part in the immediate response. Panais and Atlantis assisted in towing the aircraft to the port of Platygiali, escorted by a patrol vessel.
Port personnel took precautionary measures at Platygiali to prevent possible pollution from the damaged aircraft. The plane is expected to be recovered ashore for further inspection and repairs.
The Second Port Department Platygiali of the Port Authority of Mesolongi has opened an investigation into the circumstances of the accident.
Photo: Grchka krajbrezhna strazha
