Here are some details on the investigation report that was just submitted. This is from the Cyprus Mail online edition of 19 May.
Helios crash report handed to the government
By John Leonidou
‘We are not reporting on who is to blame, but what caused the crash’
CHIEF air accident investigator Akrivos Tsolakis yesterday officially handed over his draft report on the crash of Helios Airways flight ZU 522 to the Cyprus government.
The 200-page report, which the Greek investigator wants to make public on the one-year anniversary of the crash – August 14 – was given to the head of the Cypriot crash investigation committee Costas Orphanos in the presence of President Tassos Papadopoulos at the Presidential Palace yesterday in Nicosia.
The report outlines the series of events that led to the crash of the Boeing 737 in Grammatikos in Greece last August, killing all 121 passengers and crew members, most of them Cypriot families going on holiday. It also examines many elements in relation to air safety.
It will be returned to Tsolakis in 60 days with comments from the Cypriot crash investigation committee.
Tsolakis said comments that were accepted would then be incorporated into the report, which would then be made public under the name ‘Final Report’ by the latest on August 14, the most fitting time to release the report, he said.
“I reiterate once more that we are not reporting on who is to blame but rather what caused the crash. That was our mission – to assemble the causes of what caused the crash,” Tsolakis said.
He told reporters that the completion of the report in Athens had lifted a huge weight from his shoulders, adding that the last nine months had been a very daunting and sad experience for him.
“I believe that in the end the victims will have some questions answered, at least when it comes to the causes of the crash.”
Orphanos said yesterday the recent name change of Helios Airways to A-Jet would have no bearing on the investigation.
“Two copies of the report are to be made and one of the copies will be handed to the company involved in the crash, which to the committee is the company with the name Helios. The other copy will be kept and reviewed by the committee,” he said.
Orphanos said that as far as the crash was concerned, the company Helios did exist and that matters concerning anything else did not concern the air accident investigation.
But while Tsolakis said his report would not pin blame, the Head of the Helios Relatives Committee, Nicolas Yiasoumis, wanted those responsible to be brought to justice.
“This report has been handed in at a time when the President of the Republic has launched an investigative committee headed by Mr [Panayiotis] Kallis to determine the exact reasons behind the crash.
“We expect work to begin now that the report has been handed in so as to determine what caused the crash and who needs to be brought to justice.”
Government Spokesman George Lillikas yesterday said the government was “pleased” with Tsolakis’ efficient and timely completion of the report
“Mr. Tsolakis and his committee have worked very hard and at great speed so that they could complete their task at the soonest possible time. I would like reiterate the President’s commitment for a full investigation into the matter and for action to be taken against those responsible, without any exception.”
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2006