Sole survivor of 1974 friendly fire incident on Cyprus dies
The sole survivor on board a military jet carrying Greek commandos that was shot down by friendly fire as it tried to land at Nicosia Airport in Cyprus on July 22, 1974, during the initial phase of the Turkish invasion, died in an Athens hospital on Thursday.
Thanasis Zaferiou was 62.
He was seriously injured when he jumped out of the blazing Noratlas 4 fighter jet from an altitude of at least 75 meters, as it plunged to its doom, without a parachute.
He suffered paralysis from the impact and was burdened by health problems for the rest of his life.
The other 27 commandos and four crew members on board the aircraft died in the incident.
