Marking one of the most tragic air disasters in Cyprus’s history, the Helios Airways flight 522 crash in the Grammatiko region of Greece occurred 21 years ago. This heartbreaking event took place on August 14, 2005, and resulted in the loss of 121 lives.
The flight took off from Larnaca Airport, aiming to pass through Athens en route to Prague. When the aircraft entered Greek airspace at 10:15, it was unable to communicate with the control tower, raising significant concerns. Due to this communication failure, no information was obtained regarding the plane’s whereabouts.
After there was still no contact from the aircraft, two F-16 fighter jets were dispatched to the scene at 11:05. The fighter jets made contact with the Helios plane at 11:18. The pilots discovered that the co-pilot was unconscious and that the captain was not in his seat. Moreover, it was observed that the oxygen masks had been activated.
According to subsequent investigations, it was reported that the aircraft continued to fly on autopilot while cabin crew member Andreas Prodromou struggled to regain control of the plane but was unsuccessful.
The plane crashed in a mountainous area near Athens at 12:05. Tragically, all 121 passengers on board lost their lives in this accident. The incident left a profound impact on the public and sparked significant discussions regarding air safety issues.
Source: www.yeniduzen.com
