Investigations are continuing into the circumstances surrounding the crash of a single-engine aircraft near the runway of the Pieria Flying Club in Kontariotissa, northern Greece, which claimed the lives of 41-year-old pilot Christos Anastasiadis and his 58-year-old passenger, Theologos Marantidis, who was flying for only the second time.

Investigators seeking to establish exactly what happened are examining the wreckage of the aircraft and reviewing accounts from people who had been in contact with the two men before the tragedy.

One of those individuals was Giannis Charisis, president of the Pieria Flying Club, who told protothema.gr that he had been in communication with the 41-year-old pilot “until the very last second”.

According to Charisis, Anastasiadis had been airborne for approximately 40 minutes before the aircraft crashed.

“He asked me to make a low pass over the runway. This is something pilots commonly do before landing, and there had been no problems whatsoever during the flight,” Charisis said.

He explained that such a manoeuvre is a routine procedure allowing pilots to assess conditions on the runway before attempting to land.

According to the flying club president, the 41-year-old completed the low pass, subsequently gained altitude and then performed an ill-fated manoeuvre that resulted in the aircraft crashing.

“There was nothing wrong with the aircraft. It was in excellent condition,” he added.

What is a familiarisation flight?

The fatal flight was carried out in an aircraft owned by 41-year-old Christos Anastasiadis, who was described as a highly experienced pilot with extensive flying hours.

He had previously served as the leader of an aerial firefighting mission during a wildfire in Spain.

According to his sister, Anastasiadis was the father of four children and had considerable flying experience in the Hellenic Air Force, where he served as a Canadair firefighting aircraft pilot.

The two men had flown together once before. Charisis explained that their second and final flight was what is known as a “familiarisation flight”, designed to introduce members of the public to aviation and light aircraft.

Such flights allow people to experience flying first-hand, understand what travelling in a small aircraft involves and decide whether they might wish to pursue aviation further.

According to information obtained, Theologos Marantidis had developed an interest in flying and was potentially considering obtaining a pilot’s licence himself.

“It was only his second flight. He had flown before, enjoyed the experience and wanted to do it again,” people who knew him said.

Family devastated by the tragedy

Speaking about the loss of her 41-year-old brother, Anastasiadis’s sister described the family’s grief and shock.

“This is an extremely difficult time. We are grieving and we are in complete shock. My brother has left a family behind. He was experienced. He was a Canadair pilot,” she said.

His mother also spoke of the family’s devastation, saying they had no information about what might have caused the accident.

“We don’t know what happened either. I was at home when I heard the news, but I don’t know anything. We are devastated. My son was extremely conscientious in everything he did, in every aspect of his life,” she said.