A T-2E Buckeye training jet operated by the Hellenic Air Force crashed half a mile northwest of Kalamata Airport (KLX) at the southernmost point of continental Greece during a routine flight on November 27, 2023, at 11:28 a.m. local time. The pilot lost his life in the incident. 

The crash occurred during the return phase of the training flight. The Hellenic Air Force is investigating the cause of the accident. 

Kalamata is a joint-use airport that houses the Hellenic Air Force 120 Air Training Wing. The T-2E fleet is spread between 362 Squadron “Nestor” and 363 Squadron “Danaos.” 

The T-2E Buckeye is a twin-engine training aircraft manufactured in the United States, serving as the primary jet for training pilots in the Hellenic Air Force. Greece is the only country to still operate the aircraft, designed in the 1950s.  

The Israeli company Elbit Systems is undertaking the creation of an International Flight Training Center at 120 ΑΤW Kalamata. The contract involves the delivery of 10 Alenia Aermacchi M-346 Master jet trainers.