PARIS \u2014 An engine failure at takeoff led to Monday’s deadly crash of the Greek Air Force F-16, which killed 11 personnel at a NATO air base in Spain, French air chief Gen. Denis Mercier said on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“What we know is that the F-16 crew, fairly quickly, right after the takeoff, tried to eject,” Mercier told journalists. Nine of the personnel lost were French, while the two Greek pilots lost their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It is an incredibly improbable accident to have an aircraft that has an engine breakdown at takeoff, flies sharply off course and falls right on top of aircraft which are getting ready to fly, so are full of fuel,” he said. “It is a series of unlucky events.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
No details were given of the cause of engine failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The French Air Force will continue to send pilots to Albacete air base, which operates as a NATO training site, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mercier said he knew the air base well, and that there was not a<\/span> safety or organizational problem. “It was completely bad luck,” he said.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n It was such an extremely rare accident and one that led to the fighter hitting aircraft lined up for taking off, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n