21 years since the Helios 522 disaster. A flight Cyprus will never forget.

August 14th marked the 21st anniversary of the crash of Helios Airways Flight 522 – one of the worst tragedies in Cypriot aviation history. The Boeing 737 crash claimed the lives of 121 people, including 104 Cypriots. Although more than two decades have passed since those events, for many Cypriots, August 14, 2005, remains a symbol of pain and unimaginable loss.

Flight from Larnaca to Prague with a stopover in Athens

The Helios Airways flight took off from Larnaca Airport on Sunday morning, August 14, 2005. Flight HCY522 was scheduled to arrive in Prague, with a stopover in Athens en route.

There were 121 people on board – 115 passengers and a crew of six. Among the victims were 104 Cypriots, 12 Greeks, a family of four from Armenia, and the German captain of the plane.

Several dozen minutes after takeoff, air traffic controllers lost contact with the crew. The Boeing continued its flight according to its programmed route, but no one responded to subsequent attempts to establish communication.

"I was supposed to be on the same flight"

In conversation with Cypr24.eu Mr. Ryszard, who was scheduled to travel on this very flight, shared his story. Ultimately, at the last minute, his flight was rescheduled.

– I was supposed to be on that flight. To this day, I remember receiving dozens of calls from family and friends asking if I was okay. No one wanted to believe I didn't end up getting on that plane.

There were many more stories like this. For many families, August 14, 2005, forever remained the day that changed their lives.

What happened on board?

The investigation revealed that the cause of the tragedy was a loss of cabin pressure during the aircraft's ascent. During earlier maintenance work, the pressurization switch had been left in the off position. "manual" instead "car".

The pilots heard the alarm but misinterpreted its meaning and continued their ascent. As altitude increased, the amount of oxygen in the cabin began to decrease, leading to hypoxia, or lack of oxygen in the body. The crew gradually lost their ability to make informed decisions, and eventually, consciousness.

The plane was flying without a crew

Even though the pilots were already unconscious, the Boeing remained airborne. The autopilot guided the plane along its programmed route and made further circles around Athens.

The Greek Air Force dispatched two F-16 fighter jets, whose pilots were the first to see the dramatic situation in the cockpit. The captain was no longer at the controls, the co-pilot was unconscious, and most of the passengers remained motionless in their seats with their oxygen masks down.

The last attempt to save the plane

After some time, the F-16 pilots noticed a person moving in the cockpit.

It was the steward Andreas Prodromou, who, thanks to a portable oxygen tank, remained conscious significantly longer than the other crew members. He also had a pilot's license, but was not trained to fly a Boeing 737.

According to investigators, he attempted to enter the cockpit, radio for help, and regain control of the plane. By this time, however, he was running out of fuel. First, one engine failed, followed shortly after by the other. The plane, without power, crashed into the hills near Grammatiko, about 40 kilometers from Athens.

None of the 121 people on board survived.

It's worth knowing

The Helios Airways 522 crash led to changes in civil aviation. Boeing modified the pilot warning system on older 737 models to more easily distinguish between a takeoff configuration alarm and a cabin pressurization alarm. Additional procedures and training were also introduced for recognizing the symptoms of hypoxia and operating the pressurization system.

A tragedy that Cyprus still remembers today

The crash of Helios Airways 522 is forever etched in Cypriot history. For many families, it was a personal tragedy, and for the entire country, an event that changed the way aviation safety was perceived.

Although 21 years have passed since the disaster, the memory of the 121 victims remains vivid. Every year in mid-August, Cyprus commemorates the passengers and crew members who never returned home.