The flight plan included a stopover at Athens International Airport, where the aircraft was expected to arrive at 10:45. The scheduled departure time from Larnaca was 09:00, with the destination being Prague Ruzyně International Airport. The aircraft arrived at Larnaca International Airport at 01:25 local time on the day of the accident. Passenger baggage lay strewn across the burning chaparral. Subsequently, it was leased by Helios Airways on April 16, 2004, and underwent re-registration as 5B-DBY, bearing the nickname “Olympia.” Alongside the aircraft that met its unfortunate fate, Helios Airways also possessed two leased Boeing 737-800s and an Airbus A319-100, which were added to its fleet on May 14, 2005. ![]() Its maiden flight took place on December 29, 1997, and DBA operated it from 1998 until 2004. The ill-fated aircraft involved in this tragic accident was initially registered as D-ADBQ and identified as a Boeing 737-300. Prelude to a Disaster: The Helios Airways Flight 522 Crash The wiring loom in question serviced all modes of operation for the rear outflow valve and other related systems. The wiring had been damaged over time, potentially due to contact with a p-clip or a “zip” strap, which caused exposure of the conductors, leading to short circuits and subsequent wire burning. The investigation traced the pressurization control system failure to burnt electrical wiring in the area behind the aft cargo hold. The crew switched to the first manual pressure control mode but were unable to effectively regulate the cabin altitude.Īs a result, an emergency descent and diversion to Lyon were performed. Subsequently, both the primary AUTO and secondary STBY modes of the pressure control system failed. The cockpit gauge showed a continuous increase in cabin altitude. The flight crew noticed initial discomfort in their ears, followed by the activation of the cabin altitude warning horn, indicating that the cabin altitude had exceeded 10,000 feet (3,000 m). In a separate incident in 2003, a Boeing 737 flying from Marseille Airport to Gatwick Airport experienced a cabin-wide pressurization fault. In the ten weeks leading up to the crash, the aircraft’s environmental control system underwent seven repairs or inspections.ĥB-DBY, the aircraft involved in the accident, 3 days before the crash Passengers also reported issues with the air conditioning during Helios flights. The mother of the first officer who tragically lost his life in the subsequent crash claimed that her son had repeatedly complained to the captain about the aircraft becoming cold. However, two possibilities were identified: an electrical malfunction that resulted in the opening of the outflow valve or the inadvertent opening of the aft service door. The Air Accident and Incident Investigation Board (AAIIB) of Cyprus investigated the incident but was unable to determine the exact cause definitively. The cabin crew informed the captain that there had been a loud noise from the aft service door and that a hole, roughly the size of a hand, was visible in the door’s seal. The Disturbing Incidents That Occurred Before the Helios Airways Flight 522 Crashĭuring a previous flight on 16 December 2004, the aircraft encountered a sudden loss of cabin pressure, prompting the crew to initiate an emergency descent. The accident’s negligent nature prompted legal action against Helios Airways and Boeing, and the government of Cyprus subsequently revoked the operating license of Helios Airways the following year. The subsequent investigation carried out by the Air Accident Investigation and Aviation Safety Board (AAIASB) determined that the flight crew had overlooked the crucial step of setting the pressurization system to automatic during the pre-flight checks.Ĭonsequently, the aircraft remained unpressurized throughout the flight, leading to generalized hypoxia among nearly all occupants and resulting in what is commonly known as a ghost flight. This incident is the most fatal aviation accident in the history of Greece. Tragically, the plane eventually crashed near Grammatiko, Greece, devastatingly losing all 121 passengers and crew on board. Helios Airways Flight 522, a regularly scheduled passenger flight with a planned route from Larnaca, Cyprus, to Prague, Czech Republic, including a layover in Athens, Greece, experienced a loss of communication between air traffic control (ATC) and the aircraft, named Olympia, shortly after take-off on August 14, 2005. ![]() The Truth Behind the Helios Airways Flight 522
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