Helios Airways Flight
aviation accident in Grammatiko, Greece
Helios Airways Flight was a scheduled passenger flight from Larnaca, Cyprus, to Prague, Czech Republic, with a stopover in Athens, Greece. Shortly after take-off on 14 August , Nicosiaair traffic control (ATC) lost contact with the pilots operating the flight, named Olympia; it eventually crashed near Grammatiko, Greece, killing all passengers and crew on board. It is the deadliest aviation accident in Greek history.[1][2]
An investigation into the accident by Greece's Air Accident Investigation and Aviation Safety Board (AAIASB) concluded that the crew had failed to notice that the cabin pressurization system was set to "manual" during take-off checks. A ground engineer had set it to "manual" to conduct testing and had forgotten to restore it to "auto" afterward. This caused the plane to gradually depressurize as it climbed and resulted in nearly everyone on board suffering from generalized hypoxia, thus resulting in a "ghost flight". The negligent nature of the accident led to lawsuits being filed against Helios Airways and Boeing, with the former also being shut down by the Governmen
Nineteen years since the tragic crash of “Helios” Airways flight in the mountainous area of Grammatiko
As soon as the masks ran out of oxygen, all passengers and the pilots lost consciousness
Nineteen years have passed since the tragic crash on August 14, , of the Boeing S aircraft of Helios Airways in the mountainous area of Grammatiko in Attica, Greece. The devastating end of Helios Airways flight HCY from Larnaca to Prague, with a connecting stop in Athens, resulted in the deaths of people from Cyprus and Greece.
The crash happened at in Grammatiko, Attica. All passengers, including 22 children, and six crew members tragically died in the crash. Out of passengers, 12 were from Greece. The fire that broke out after the crash completely burned three of the bodies, and charred corpses were pulled out of the debris.
Autopsies on the bodies showed that the victims had a heartbeat at the time of the crash, but it was estimated that they were in a deep coma due to hypoxia (lack of oxygen). The causes of death were multiple injuries caused by the crash and extensive burns on some bodies.
The Flight
The ill-fated aircraft had left Larnaca airport on the morning of August 14t
Ghost Plane: What Caused The Crash Of Helios Airways Flight ?
Summary
- An unpressurized Helios flight led to hypoxia, crew incapacity, and, ultimately, a fatal crash in Greece.
- Investigations revealed systemic failures, including a lack of pressurization checks.
- The FAA mandated a warning light be installed to prevent human error during pressurization.
On August 14th, , Helios Airways Flight crashed into the hill near the town of Grammatiko in Eastern Greece. It was a routine flight from Larnaca International Airport (LCA) to Prague's Václav Havel Airport (PRG) with a brief stopover at Athens International Airport (ATH).
Approximately three hours into the flight, the Boeing carrying passengers and crew crashed into the mountains, killing all onboard. The accident would become known as one of the most unusual and shocking aviation incidents of the 21st century, raising questions about how something could go so wrong during an era of heightened safety.
Background information
- Helios Flight ZU
- Captain: year-old Hans-Jurgen Merten
- First Officer: year-old Pampos Charalambus
- Flying experience: 25, hours combined
Launched in , Cypriot low-cost car
A text message sent from the plane said that the pilots were unconscious and passengers were freezing to death.
Greek F fighter jets were scrambled when contact with the Helios Airways plane was lost during the flight between Larnaca in Cyprus and Athens.
Greek television said the plane's black box recorders had been recovered.
Relatives of some of the passengers gathered anxiously at Larnaca airport, and complained they had waited for hours without being told of their loved ones' fates.
"Tell us if our relatives are dead," some begged Helios officials. "Give us the names, we have waited too long."
But there was no confirmation of the identity or nationality of those on board.
"My son is a pilot and he flew to Athens today. I don't know what plane he was on," a distraught mother said.
However, a Greek police spokeswoman said there were no reports of survivors.
The Boeing plane, carrying passengers and six crew, came down at local time ( GMT).
Airline officials said the plane was due to fly on to the Czech
.