Military rescue teams were combing through areas around Lake Iliki, close to Delphi in central Greece, late yesterday, in search of a pilot that had gone missing after the Mirage 2000 fighter jet he was flying disappeared earlier in the day.

The single-seater jet took off from the Tanagra air base at 8.58 a.m., heading for Italy on a training flight. It disappeared from air force radar screens shortly afterward.

Sources said that three minutes after takeoff the pilot reported technical problems, which experts described as being minor. Four helicopters, a C-130 military plane and a torpedo boat were involved in the rescue operation along with army teams.

Land forces were expected to keep searching through the night. Foggy conditions in the area made the search operation more difficult, officials said.

The fact that no message was received indicating the pilot had used the seat ejector reduces the chances of finding him alive, a source said.