Cypriot airliner crash - the accident and investigation
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Oh dear! Another 'register and 1 post' user and we are getting the issue more and more clouded.
I have to say that that post by 'Deserter' tells me nothing and raises so many more questions that I must ignore it.
All I wish to say is that we owe it to the dead and bereaved from that flight to find out what happened and try to ensure it cannot happen again, although I do not, sadly, have great hopes in that direction.
I have to say that that post by 'Deserter' tells me nothing and raises so many more questions that I must ignore it.
All I wish to say is that we owe it to the dead and bereaved from that flight to find out what happened and try to ensure it cannot happen again, although I do not, sadly, have great hopes in that direction.
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Deserter,
Admittedly, your scenario makes sense. Certainly, the valve can¢t go from full-open at 12,000 feet to ¾-shut at 34,000 feet, without some form of …manual intervention in between (assuming a cabin altitude of 26,000 feet at cruise height is the correct figure). That should dispel at least some of BOAC¢s clouds.
Nonetheless, the argument sounds more like that of a Helios Investigation deserter (excuse the pun) from Seattle, than of Tsolakis himself. Although the words - coming from disparate interviews over the past 4 months - may be his, he certainly didn¢t sound so unequivocal at the press conference room after the re-enactment, if BFC has quoted him correctly.
Personally, I don¢t see why "the manufacturer" or the two lost pilots should bear the same blame for the disaster as "the airline". And that, IMHO, goes a long way towards explaining the Greek investigators¢ (and third parties¢) residual ambivalence.
They know they can¢t get the company off the hook, so they throw their net out wide enough to catch as much fish as they can, and let the lawyers separate the small fry from the sharks.
The pilots should have refused to get on that plane, that¢s for sure. Even if this meant an early end to their professional careers and their 'easy' replacement by another condemned duo, including someone as desperate to fly as Prodromou. Who can accuse pilots for bowing to their employer if they like their job?
As for Boeing, their refusal to legitimize Helios¢ shoddy maintenance and repairs culture became evident when they categorically denied having ever issued a clean bill of health for this or any other of the airline¢s fleet. But even this was too little to late for stopping the disaster from "waiting to happen".
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi...&date=20050817
Admittedly, your scenario makes sense. Certainly, the valve can¢t go from full-open at 12,000 feet to ¾-shut at 34,000 feet, without some form of …manual intervention in between (assuming a cabin altitude of 26,000 feet at cruise height is the correct figure). That should dispel at least some of BOAC¢s clouds.
Nonetheless, the argument sounds more like that of a Helios Investigation deserter (excuse the pun) from Seattle, than of Tsolakis himself. Although the words - coming from disparate interviews over the past 4 months - may be his, he certainly didn¢t sound so unequivocal at the press conference room after the re-enactment, if BFC has quoted him correctly.
Personally, I don¢t see why "the manufacturer" or the two lost pilots should bear the same blame for the disaster as "the airline". And that, IMHO, goes a long way towards explaining the Greek investigators¢ (and third parties¢) residual ambivalence.
They know they can¢t get the company off the hook, so they throw their net out wide enough to catch as much fish as they can, and let the lawyers separate the small fry from the sharks.
The pilots should have refused to get on that plane, that¢s for sure. Even if this meant an early end to their professional careers and their 'easy' replacement by another condemned duo, including someone as desperate to fly as Prodromou. Who can accuse pilots for bowing to their employer if they like their job?
As for Boeing, their refusal to legitimize Helios¢ shoddy maintenance and repairs culture became evident when they categorically denied having ever issued a clean bill of health for this or any other of the airline¢s fleet. But even this was too little to late for stopping the disaster from "waiting to happen".
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/cgi...&date=20050817
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Since we now have a second thread started, I will post the latest news from the Cyprus Mail here, rather than on the old thread. This certainly brings the discussion to a new level:
Police probe into Helios crash into its final stages
By Constantine Markides
RESPONSIBILITIES for the August 14 Helios crash in Greece that killed all 121 passengers on board will soon be meted out, as the investigation into the crash nears its final stages.
Cypriot investigators have already gathered many witnesses, both from Helios personnel as well as from other sources in relation to the aircraft and the technical troubles it exhibited. Evidence so far suggests that a number of people knew that the plane had problems but kept silent for fear that they might endanger their careers.
Police spokesman Demetris Demetriou told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that although the police investigation was under way, it would not be completed and no responsibilities would be doled out until chief accident investigator and head of the Greek team Akrivos Tsolakis completes and releases the investigation findings.
Greek police have requested of the Cypriot authorities to give them copies of all evidence relating to the accident.
There are cases, however, when particularly sensitive material, such as the tape from the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), may be withheld from police due to privacy issues.
For example, after a June 1995 plane crash in New Zealand, police asked for the actual CVR tape, not the transcript, but investigators refused to hand it over. The case ended up in court.
Article 229 of the Cyprus Civil Aviation Act protects such information from disclosure except in certain rare circumstances.
At the beginning of the New Year, Cypriot police investigators are expected to travel to Greece to exchange opinions and then travel to Germany and Britain for additional testimonies from the widow of the German pilot and from the two mechanics who flew back to the UK shortly after the crash.
A seminar was held last Wednesday at Intercollege on Aviation Safety and Accident Investigation to clarify that it is not the role of aviation accident investigations to identify responsibility or assign blame for those who caused the accident but rather to root out the system failures and prevent future occurrences. It is the role of the police, not the accident investigators, to seek out and assign blame.
During the seminar, Tsolakis said that the Helios crash “so far does not seem to have one cause” but rather was caused by a “chain of events which could not be broken”.
Helios first applied for a licence to fly to and from Cyprus in December 1998, but the application was rejected because the documentation was not all in place, according to Communications Minister Haris Thrasou. Helios again applied in March 1999 with a different business plan and two months later the Communications Ministry granted the air carrier the permit.
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2005
Police probe into Helios crash into its final stages
By Constantine Markides
RESPONSIBILITIES for the August 14 Helios crash in Greece that killed all 121 passengers on board will soon be meted out, as the investigation into the crash nears its final stages.
Cypriot investigators have already gathered many witnesses, both from Helios personnel as well as from other sources in relation to the aircraft and the technical troubles it exhibited. Evidence so far suggests that a number of people knew that the plane had problems but kept silent for fear that they might endanger their careers.
Police spokesman Demetris Demetriou told the Cyprus Mail yesterday that although the police investigation was under way, it would not be completed and no responsibilities would be doled out until chief accident investigator and head of the Greek team Akrivos Tsolakis completes and releases the investigation findings.
Greek police have requested of the Cypriot authorities to give them copies of all evidence relating to the accident.
There are cases, however, when particularly sensitive material, such as the tape from the cockpit voice recorder (CVR), may be withheld from police due to privacy issues.
For example, after a June 1995 plane crash in New Zealand, police asked for the actual CVR tape, not the transcript, but investigators refused to hand it over. The case ended up in court.
Article 229 of the Cyprus Civil Aviation Act protects such information from disclosure except in certain rare circumstances.
At the beginning of the New Year, Cypriot police investigators are expected to travel to Greece to exchange opinions and then travel to Germany and Britain for additional testimonies from the widow of the German pilot and from the two mechanics who flew back to the UK shortly after the crash.
A seminar was held last Wednesday at Intercollege on Aviation Safety and Accident Investigation to clarify that it is not the role of aviation accident investigations to identify responsibility or assign blame for those who caused the accident but rather to root out the system failures and prevent future occurrences. It is the role of the police, not the accident investigators, to seek out and assign blame.
During the seminar, Tsolakis said that the Helios crash “so far does not seem to have one cause” but rather was caused by a “chain of events which could not be broken”.
Helios first applied for a licence to fly to and from Cyprus in December 1998, but the application was rejected because the documentation was not all in place, according to Communications Minister Haris Thrasou. Helios again applied in March 1999 with a different business plan and two months later the Communications Ministry granted the air carrier the permit.
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2005
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I am not sure which thread to post this to. Perhaps they will be merged soon.
In any event, here is the latest news from the Cyprus Mail concerning some upcoming litigation.
Libra to sue over Helios losses
By Jean Christou
LIBRA Holidays Group (LHG), is considering legal action to recoup a £5 million loss the group sustained as a result of the Helios Airways crash last August in which 121 people were killed.
Helios is owned by LHG, one of the biggest UK-based tour operators, which bought the airline late last year. LHG is also listed on the Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE).
In an announcement to the CSE yesterday, Libra said it was in touch with its London-based lawyers about the possibility of suing ‘third parties’ over the crash of the Helios Boeing 737-300.
The accident, which happened in Greece, cost Libra at least £5 million plus another £18 million the group wrote off in goodwill as a result of the crash.
In its announcement to the CSE, the group reported massive losses of £23.69 million for the financial year up to the end of October compared to a profit of £2.58 million in the same period in 2004.
Libra said turnover was up because of the acquisition of Helios, but following the crash it decided to proceed with a major write-off of goodwill in the books. But in relation to the £5 million Helios loss, it said it was contemplating suing third parties.
The company did not specify who the third parties were and is unlikely to do so until the final investigation into the crash is complete and has been published.
“When an accident happens, it is very seldom that there is only one cause for it,” said a source close to the investigation. “A number of factors are usually involved but not a lot of players. Any confirmation that is needed will come from the investigation.”
The investigation into the crash is due to be completed early next year. So far it appears the accident was caused by a number of different factors. This was confirmed by chief Greek investigator Akrivos Tsolakis during his recent visit to Cyprus.
The predominant theory is that cabin decompression led to hypoxia – or low oxygen in the blood – causing the crew to pass out.
Greek investigators have discovered there have been many other cases of a Boeing 737 climbing without pressurisation set, but the crews recognised the alerts and averted hypoxia and resultant disaster.
Tsolakis said he had received reports from numerous other national aviation authorities advising him of events similar to the Helios one, but with “non-fatal outcomes”.
It is believed that before the doomed flight, maintenance crew who had conducted a pressurisation check left the control in manual instead of automatic, so the aircraft did not pressurise as it gained altitude. But the crew failed to notice the setting in their pre-take-off checks, and the post-take-off checks require no further confirmation of the pressurisation control selection.
In the Helios case, when the audible cabin altitude alert sounded, the crew thought it was an erroneous configuration warning because the sound is identical. According to Tsolakis, the pilots’ “subsequent mindset and actions were determined by this preconception until hypoxia overcame them as the aircraft continued to climb.”
In September at Tsolakis` request, Boeing circulated a ‘reminder’ to flight crews about the difference between warning alarms for incorrect take-off configurations and cabin altitude.
Boeing acted to reduce the likelihood of flight crews misinterpreting a cabin altitude warning as the automatic aural warning for an incorrect take-off configuration and the aural alert triggered when cabin altitude rises above 10,000ft make the same sound.
However Boeing said the reminder "doesn't mean [this] is necessarily the cause [of the Helios accident", although it was widely seen within the industry as a tacit acknowledgement that cabin pressurisation and the CA warning were part of the investigation.”
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2005
My very best wishes to all of you for a safe, healthy, and happy New Year.
Sharon, the Big Fraidy Cat
In any event, here is the latest news from the Cyprus Mail concerning some upcoming litigation.
Libra to sue over Helios losses
By Jean Christou
LIBRA Holidays Group (LHG), is considering legal action to recoup a £5 million loss the group sustained as a result of the Helios Airways crash last August in which 121 people were killed.
Helios is owned by LHG, one of the biggest UK-based tour operators, which bought the airline late last year. LHG is also listed on the Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE).
In an announcement to the CSE yesterday, Libra said it was in touch with its London-based lawyers about the possibility of suing ‘third parties’ over the crash of the Helios Boeing 737-300.
The accident, which happened in Greece, cost Libra at least £5 million plus another £18 million the group wrote off in goodwill as a result of the crash.
In its announcement to the CSE, the group reported massive losses of £23.69 million for the financial year up to the end of October compared to a profit of £2.58 million in the same period in 2004.
Libra said turnover was up because of the acquisition of Helios, but following the crash it decided to proceed with a major write-off of goodwill in the books. But in relation to the £5 million Helios loss, it said it was contemplating suing third parties.
The company did not specify who the third parties were and is unlikely to do so until the final investigation into the crash is complete and has been published.
“When an accident happens, it is very seldom that there is only one cause for it,” said a source close to the investigation. “A number of factors are usually involved but not a lot of players. Any confirmation that is needed will come from the investigation.”
The investigation into the crash is due to be completed early next year. So far it appears the accident was caused by a number of different factors. This was confirmed by chief Greek investigator Akrivos Tsolakis during his recent visit to Cyprus.
The predominant theory is that cabin decompression led to hypoxia – or low oxygen in the blood – causing the crew to pass out.
Greek investigators have discovered there have been many other cases of a Boeing 737 climbing without pressurisation set, but the crews recognised the alerts and averted hypoxia and resultant disaster.
Tsolakis said he had received reports from numerous other national aviation authorities advising him of events similar to the Helios one, but with “non-fatal outcomes”.
It is believed that before the doomed flight, maintenance crew who had conducted a pressurisation check left the control in manual instead of automatic, so the aircraft did not pressurise as it gained altitude. But the crew failed to notice the setting in their pre-take-off checks, and the post-take-off checks require no further confirmation of the pressurisation control selection.
In the Helios case, when the audible cabin altitude alert sounded, the crew thought it was an erroneous configuration warning because the sound is identical. According to Tsolakis, the pilots’ “subsequent mindset and actions were determined by this preconception until hypoxia overcame them as the aircraft continued to climb.”
In September at Tsolakis` request, Boeing circulated a ‘reminder’ to flight crews about the difference between warning alarms for incorrect take-off configurations and cabin altitude.
Boeing acted to reduce the likelihood of flight crews misinterpreting a cabin altitude warning as the automatic aural warning for an incorrect take-off configuration and the aural alert triggered when cabin altitude rises above 10,000ft make the same sound.
However Boeing said the reminder "doesn't mean [this] is necessarily the cause [of the Helios accident", although it was widely seen within the industry as a tacit acknowledgement that cabin pressurisation and the CA warning were part of the investigation.”
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2005
My very best wishes to all of you for a safe, healthy, and happy New Year.
Sharon, the Big Fraidy Cat
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I always found that this incident to an Aer Lingus 737 had some striking parallels. What was particularly interesting was that Captain failed to go onto oxygen and seemed to effected by hypoxia.
http://www.aaiu.ie/AAIUviewitem.asp?...g=ENG&loc=1280
http://www.aaiu.ie/AAIUviewitem.asp?...g=ENG&loc=1280
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Re: Cypriot airliner crash to re-enacted
Sorree! - I've lost track of the various threads on this but do we have a target date for either an proper interim or full accident investigation report?
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Re: Cypriot airliner crash to re-enacted
Hi BOAC, and Happy New Year!
Posted below is an article from the Cyprus Mail, published on the Internet on 1 January. Most of the article is a rehash, but they mention a new type of FDR which is supposed to supply most of the answers to most, but not all, of our questions. If anyone is familiar with this new type, would you care to elaborate and tell me what kind of information we might expect?
Holding the key to the doomed Helios flight
By Elias Hazou
THE flight data animation for the doomed Helios Airways jetliner that crashed into a ravine outside Athens last August, killing all 121 onboard, is in the hands of the Greek air-accident investigating team.
Aviation experts say the sophisticated flight data recorder should answer at least some of the questions that have perplexed investigators.
Because so much about the crash doesn't add up, the digital flight data recorder, or DFDR, takes on greater importance as investigators piece together evidence. They’ll add this information to clues from the wreckage pattern, autopsies, radar tapes, witness reports and photographs taken by fighter pilots who trailed the doomed Boeing 737-300.
The recorder that Boeing installed in the tail of the plane in 1998 records 128 kinds of data, according to the company. That's more than has been extracted from most black boxes in past accidents.
In effect, the data gleaned from the DFDR can reconstruct the doomed flight, chief Greek investigator Akrivos Tsolakis told the Sunday Mail.
Popularly known as the ‘black box’, the plane's flight data recorder has been analysed by the French Accident Investigation Bureau, which has compiled an hour-long CD. It should clear up questions about whether the cabin lost pressure and, if it did, how quickly it was lost and how high the plane was flying when that happened.
The recorder should also tell investigators when the plane on autopilot; when it was controlled by humans and when it was out of control.
The plane lost radio contact with the ground roughly 30 minutes after takeoff from Larnaca. Fighter pilots who intercepted it reported that the pilot was not in the cabin, the co-pilot was slumped over the controls and oxygen masks were dangling from the ceiling. That led to the initial conclusion that the cabin had suddenly lost pressure at a high altitude, which would have quickly incapacitated everyone aboard if they didn't have another source of oxygen.
But then Greek officials revealed that the fighter pilots saw someone at the controls and that passengers were alive when the plane crashed.
That person has since been identified as 25-year-old steward Andreas Prodromou, believed to have tried to save the plane before it crashed at Grammatikos, near Marathon.
According to reports, the flight data animation contains some chilling sounds, such as the “Mayday, Mayday” uttered by Prodromou during his frantic efforts. He is also heard opening the cockpit door.
There are some questions the data recorder won't answer, though. It won't tell investigators whether the radio was working, or who was at the controls. It won't say who was in the cockpit, where the pilot went or why.
That's why the cockpit voice recorder, or CVR, is an invaluable tool, recording Prodromou’s pleas for help as well as minute details such as the pilots’ seat movements and chatter, even the pushing of buttons.
The CVR has also revealed the vain attempts by other airborne planes to contact Helios ZU522 while it was circling above the Greek island of Kos, as well as the approach of the two Greek fighter jets.
The investigation into the crash is due to be completed early next year. So far it appears the accident was caused by a number of different factors.
The predominant theory is that cabin decompression led to hypoxia – or low oxygen in the blood – causing the crew to pass out.
It is believed that before the doomed flight, maintenance crew who had conducted a pressurisation check left the control in manual instead of automatic, so the aircraft did not pressurise as it gained altitude. But the crew failed to notice the setting in their pre-take-off checks, and the post-take-off checks require no further confirmation of the pressurisation control selection.
In the Helios case, when the audible cabin altitude alert sounded, the crew thought it was an erroneous configuration warning because the sound is identical. According to Tsolakis, the pilots’ “subsequent mindset and actions were determined by this preconception until hypoxia overcame them as the aircraft continued to climb.”
Tsolakis reiterated to the Sunday Mail that the findings of the investigation should be ready by February or March, at which time they would be handed over to a Greek prosecutor. A news conference will then be held to brief the public – most of all the anxious relatives of victims – on what caused the horrific accident.
“What I can say is that the investigations are on track, but I urge everyone to have a little more patience. We’re almost there,” he said.
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2005
Posted below is an article from the Cyprus Mail, published on the Internet on 1 January. Most of the article is a rehash, but they mention a new type of FDR which is supposed to supply most of the answers to most, but not all, of our questions. If anyone is familiar with this new type, would you care to elaborate and tell me what kind of information we might expect?
Holding the key to the doomed Helios flight
By Elias Hazou
THE flight data animation for the doomed Helios Airways jetliner that crashed into a ravine outside Athens last August, killing all 121 onboard, is in the hands of the Greek air-accident investigating team.
Aviation experts say the sophisticated flight data recorder should answer at least some of the questions that have perplexed investigators.
Because so much about the crash doesn't add up, the digital flight data recorder, or DFDR, takes on greater importance as investigators piece together evidence. They’ll add this information to clues from the wreckage pattern, autopsies, radar tapes, witness reports and photographs taken by fighter pilots who trailed the doomed Boeing 737-300.
The recorder that Boeing installed in the tail of the plane in 1998 records 128 kinds of data, according to the company. That's more than has been extracted from most black boxes in past accidents.
In effect, the data gleaned from the DFDR can reconstruct the doomed flight, chief Greek investigator Akrivos Tsolakis told the Sunday Mail.
Popularly known as the ‘black box’, the plane's flight data recorder has been analysed by the French Accident Investigation Bureau, which has compiled an hour-long CD. It should clear up questions about whether the cabin lost pressure and, if it did, how quickly it was lost and how high the plane was flying when that happened.
The recorder should also tell investigators when the plane on autopilot; when it was controlled by humans and when it was out of control.
The plane lost radio contact with the ground roughly 30 minutes after takeoff from Larnaca. Fighter pilots who intercepted it reported that the pilot was not in the cabin, the co-pilot was slumped over the controls and oxygen masks were dangling from the ceiling. That led to the initial conclusion that the cabin had suddenly lost pressure at a high altitude, which would have quickly incapacitated everyone aboard if they didn't have another source of oxygen.
But then Greek officials revealed that the fighter pilots saw someone at the controls and that passengers were alive when the plane crashed.
That person has since been identified as 25-year-old steward Andreas Prodromou, believed to have tried to save the plane before it crashed at Grammatikos, near Marathon.
According to reports, the flight data animation contains some chilling sounds, such as the “Mayday, Mayday” uttered by Prodromou during his frantic efforts. He is also heard opening the cockpit door.
There are some questions the data recorder won't answer, though. It won't tell investigators whether the radio was working, or who was at the controls. It won't say who was in the cockpit, where the pilot went or why.
That's why the cockpit voice recorder, or CVR, is an invaluable tool, recording Prodromou’s pleas for help as well as minute details such as the pilots’ seat movements and chatter, even the pushing of buttons.
The CVR has also revealed the vain attempts by other airborne planes to contact Helios ZU522 while it was circling above the Greek island of Kos, as well as the approach of the two Greek fighter jets.
The investigation into the crash is due to be completed early next year. So far it appears the accident was caused by a number of different factors.
The predominant theory is that cabin decompression led to hypoxia – or low oxygen in the blood – causing the crew to pass out.
It is believed that before the doomed flight, maintenance crew who had conducted a pressurisation check left the control in manual instead of automatic, so the aircraft did not pressurise as it gained altitude. But the crew failed to notice the setting in their pre-take-off checks, and the post-take-off checks require no further confirmation of the pressurisation control selection.
In the Helios case, when the audible cabin altitude alert sounded, the crew thought it was an erroneous configuration warning because the sound is identical. According to Tsolakis, the pilots’ “subsequent mindset and actions were determined by this preconception until hypoxia overcame them as the aircraft continued to climb.”
Tsolakis reiterated to the Sunday Mail that the findings of the investigation should be ready by February or March, at which time they would be handed over to a Greek prosecutor. A news conference will then be held to brief the public – most of all the anxious relatives of victims – on what caused the horrific accident.
“What I can say is that the investigations are on track, but I urge everyone to have a little more patience. We’re almost there,” he said.
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2005
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Re: Cypriot airliner crash to re-enacted
Originally Posted by big fraidy cat
Popularly known as the ‘black box’, the plane's flight data recorder has been analysed by the French Accident Investigation Bureau, which has compiled an hour-long CD.
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Re: Cypriot airliner crash to re-enacted
The Helios crash investigator, Capt. Tsolakis, is back on Cyprus again, according to the Cyprus Mail online:
Tsolakis attends to final gaps in Helios investigation
By Constantine Markides
THE investigation into the August 14 Helios crash in Greece that killed all 121 passengers is in its final stages, as chief investigator Akrivos Tsolakis has returned to Cyprus for some final clarifications before the preliminary draft of the findings, expected next month.
Tsolakis said that the purpose of the visit to Cyprus was to fill certain gaps found over the course of the investigation, although he noted that none of the gaps were serious.
“The investigation is proceeding in good time,” Tsolakis said. “Our visits for some time now are due to the fact that we need to cover certain gaps that have emerged from our investigation and from the evaluation of evidence we have accumulated.”
According to reports, Tsolakis is presently clarifying forensic reports, mechanical and maintenance details of the aircraft, and information regarding civil aviation procedures.
The investigative team also called upon several witnesses, including state pathologist Sophocles Sophocleous, who was present as an observer on behalf of the Cyprus government during the forensic analyses that took place in Athens after the crash.
The Cypriot investigative team and Tsolakis are also expected to visit the Helios aircraft maintenance site in Larnaca during the visit.
Tsolakis met yesterday with Communications Minister Haris Thrasou, who later said that the collaboration with Tsolakis would continue even after the publication of the investigation findings because Cyprus “has the need of such experts”.
Tsolakis said that the preliminary draft of the findings would be submitted around the end of February and hoped that by early March at the latest the document “would be transmitted to all high officials who are involved according to ICAO (International Civil Aviation Authority) law”.
Although he said that he was content with the recent steps taken in Cyprus in air safety, Tsolakis also noted that there were “certain measures that should have been implemented for many years now”.
With characteristic oratorical flourish, Tsolakis expressed his gratitude and praise to Cyprus and to the Cypriot authorities and investigative team he has been working with:
“Every time I leave the island I leave with feelings of deep contentment as a professional, as an aviator, as a Greek, and as a Cypriot, which I boast that I can consider myself to be.”
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2005
Tsolakis attends to final gaps in Helios investigation
By Constantine Markides
THE investigation into the August 14 Helios crash in Greece that killed all 121 passengers is in its final stages, as chief investigator Akrivos Tsolakis has returned to Cyprus for some final clarifications before the preliminary draft of the findings, expected next month.
Tsolakis said that the purpose of the visit to Cyprus was to fill certain gaps found over the course of the investigation, although he noted that none of the gaps were serious.
“The investigation is proceeding in good time,” Tsolakis said. “Our visits for some time now are due to the fact that we need to cover certain gaps that have emerged from our investigation and from the evaluation of evidence we have accumulated.”
According to reports, Tsolakis is presently clarifying forensic reports, mechanical and maintenance details of the aircraft, and information regarding civil aviation procedures.
The investigative team also called upon several witnesses, including state pathologist Sophocles Sophocleous, who was present as an observer on behalf of the Cyprus government during the forensic analyses that took place in Athens after the crash.
The Cypriot investigative team and Tsolakis are also expected to visit the Helios aircraft maintenance site in Larnaca during the visit.
Tsolakis met yesterday with Communications Minister Haris Thrasou, who later said that the collaboration with Tsolakis would continue even after the publication of the investigation findings because Cyprus “has the need of such experts”.
Tsolakis said that the preliminary draft of the findings would be submitted around the end of February and hoped that by early March at the latest the document “would be transmitted to all high officials who are involved according to ICAO (International Civil Aviation Authority) law”.
Although he said that he was content with the recent steps taken in Cyprus in air safety, Tsolakis also noted that there were “certain measures that should have been implemented for many years now”.
With characteristic oratorical flourish, Tsolakis expressed his gratitude and praise to Cyprus and to the Cypriot authorities and investigative team he has been working with:
“Every time I leave the island I leave with feelings of deep contentment as a professional, as an aviator, as a Greek, and as a Cypriot, which I boast that I can consider myself to be.”
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2005
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Re: Cypriot airliner crash to re-enacted
From the Cyprus Mail's Internet edition on Sunday, 15 January, Helios Airways is about to announce a change, requesting name change to ALPHA-JET:
Helios to announce ‘good news’ in coming days
By John Leonidou
THINGS are set to change at beleaguered Helios Airways, according to an official of the airline, with reports suggesting the airline could undergo a facelift and operate under a different name.
Phileleftheros reported yesterday that six executives of the airline had last week gone to the civil aviation office and requested that the airline be converted to another company under the name Alpha-Jet.
Helios has also been linked with a merger with Eurocypria, the profitable charter arm of Cyprus Airways, which the government is in the process of buying from the debt-ridden national carrier.
Helios Airways spokesman Nicos Anastassiades yesterday refrained from confirming if any meeting had taken place, but did say that there were some “positive” developments currently taking place at the airline.
“I cannot make an official comment on this matter yet, but we will be holding a news conference this coming week and all will be enlightened. The only thing I can say is that good things are happening.”
Helios have been struggling since one of its planes crashed in Greece last August, killing all 121 passengers and crew on board.
According to sources quoted by Phileleftheros, the airline was informed that such a process could take time and that there could be no change until the report of crash investigator Akrivos Tsolakis was completed. Civil Aviation officials are also believed to have turned to Communications Minister Haris Thrasou for legal advice on the matter.
On August 14 last year, a Helios Airways flight bound for Prague via Athens crashed into a mountainside in Grammatikos, Greece. A drop in cabin pressure and human error are believed to have been the major contributors in the accident, which saw the Boeing 737-300 flying unpiloted for over two hours before finally running out of fuel and crashing just 25km outside Athens.
In December 2004, the airline had approached Cyprus Airways with a proposal of $17 million to lease three planes from the national carrier’s now-defunct Athens-based subsidiary, Hellas Jet, but the offer was rejected.
Last year’s crash has caused serious problems for Helios, which is believed to be losing around £1 million a month.
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2005
Helios to announce ‘good news’ in coming days
By John Leonidou
THINGS are set to change at beleaguered Helios Airways, according to an official of the airline, with reports suggesting the airline could undergo a facelift and operate under a different name.
Phileleftheros reported yesterday that six executives of the airline had last week gone to the civil aviation office and requested that the airline be converted to another company under the name Alpha-Jet.
Helios has also been linked with a merger with Eurocypria, the profitable charter arm of Cyprus Airways, which the government is in the process of buying from the debt-ridden national carrier.
Helios Airways spokesman Nicos Anastassiades yesterday refrained from confirming if any meeting had taken place, but did say that there were some “positive” developments currently taking place at the airline.
“I cannot make an official comment on this matter yet, but we will be holding a news conference this coming week and all will be enlightened. The only thing I can say is that good things are happening.”
Helios have been struggling since one of its planes crashed in Greece last August, killing all 121 passengers and crew on board.
According to sources quoted by Phileleftheros, the airline was informed that such a process could take time and that there could be no change until the report of crash investigator Akrivos Tsolakis was completed. Civil Aviation officials are also believed to have turned to Communications Minister Haris Thrasou for legal advice on the matter.
On August 14 last year, a Helios Airways flight bound for Prague via Athens crashed into a mountainside in Grammatikos, Greece. A drop in cabin pressure and human error are believed to have been the major contributors in the accident, which saw the Boeing 737-300 flying unpiloted for over two hours before finally running out of fuel and crashing just 25km outside Athens.
In December 2004, the airline had approached Cyprus Airways with a proposal of $17 million to lease three planes from the national carrier’s now-defunct Athens-based subsidiary, Hellas Jet, but the offer was rejected.
Last year’s crash has caused serious problems for Helios, which is believed to be losing around £1 million a month.
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2005
Pegase Driver
Re: Cypriot airliner crash to re-enacted
Good old tactic : do not change the people or the method, change the name instead...
Egyptian and Turk carriers were expert is that....
Egyptian and Turk carriers were expert is that....
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Re: Cypriot airliner crash to re-enacted
From today's Cyprus Mail Internet edition:
Helios relatives call for President’s help
By John Leonidou
RELATIVES of victims of the Helios crash yesterday appealed for help from President Tassos Papadopoulos, with some of them still facing problems in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Yesterday, a committee representing the relatives met with the President in a one-hour meeting and discussed various issues, the most urgent being the financial difficulties facing some relatives who lost their loved ones in last August’s air crash.
The head of the committee, Nicolas Yiasoumis, told reporters after the meeting that their basic request was for aid from the government for victims’ families who have inherited property and tax issues left behind by the victims.
Papadopoulos assured the relatives that the government would do all that it could to ensure that relatives were given as much help as possible in such matters.
They also discussed the investigative report on the crash and how the Cyprus government would act once the report has been finalised by the Greek investigating team, headed by Akrivos Tsolakis.
Yiasoumis tolf the Cyprus Mail that the committee would take legal action if their rights were compromised in any way.
Helios has recently been linked with a merger with Eurocypria, the profitable charter arm of Cyprus Airways, which the government is in the process of buying from the debt-ridden national carrier. But President Papadopoulos yesterday told the relatives that no meeting had taken place to discuss the issue.
“We have informed the President that we have been watching the recent developments surrounding Helios very carefully,” said Yiasoumis. “In the event that our rights as relatives are put in jeopardy by some kind of shift in the company, then we will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights”.
On Saturday, Phileleftheros reported that six executives of the airline had last week gone to the Civil Aviation Department and requested that the airline be converted to another company under the name Alpha-Jet. Although, Helios spokesperson Nicos Anastassiades wouldn’t confirm such a meeting had taken place, he did say that the airline would be holding a news conference this week to announce “something good”.
On August 14 last year, an Helios Airways Boeing 737-300 flight flying from Larnaca to Prague via Athens crashed into a mountainside in Grammatikos, just 25 kilometres outside the Greek capital. All 121 passengers and crew were killed in the crash, believed to have been caused by a combination of falling cabin pressure and human error.
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2005
Helios relatives call for President’s help
By John Leonidou
RELATIVES of victims of the Helios crash yesterday appealed for help from President Tassos Papadopoulos, with some of them still facing problems in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Yesterday, a committee representing the relatives met with the President in a one-hour meeting and discussed various issues, the most urgent being the financial difficulties facing some relatives who lost their loved ones in last August’s air crash.
The head of the committee, Nicolas Yiasoumis, told reporters after the meeting that their basic request was for aid from the government for victims’ families who have inherited property and tax issues left behind by the victims.
Papadopoulos assured the relatives that the government would do all that it could to ensure that relatives were given as much help as possible in such matters.
They also discussed the investigative report on the crash and how the Cyprus government would act once the report has been finalised by the Greek investigating team, headed by Akrivos Tsolakis.
Yiasoumis tolf the Cyprus Mail that the committee would take legal action if their rights were compromised in any way.
Helios has recently been linked with a merger with Eurocypria, the profitable charter arm of Cyprus Airways, which the government is in the process of buying from the debt-ridden national carrier. But President Papadopoulos yesterday told the relatives that no meeting had taken place to discuss the issue.
“We have informed the President that we have been watching the recent developments surrounding Helios very carefully,” said Yiasoumis. “In the event that our rights as relatives are put in jeopardy by some kind of shift in the company, then we will appeal to the European Court of Human Rights”.
On Saturday, Phileleftheros reported that six executives of the airline had last week gone to the Civil Aviation Department and requested that the airline be converted to another company under the name Alpha-Jet. Although, Helios spokesperson Nicos Anastassiades wouldn’t confirm such a meeting had taken place, he did say that the airline would be holding a news conference this week to announce “something good”.
On August 14 last year, an Helios Airways Boeing 737-300 flight flying from Larnaca to Prague via Athens crashed into a mountainside in Grammatikos, just 25 kilometres outside the Greek capital. All 121 passengers and crew were killed in the crash, believed to have been caused by a combination of falling cabin pressure and human error.
Copyright © Cyprus Mail 2005
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I'm not familiar with the term 'postholder maintenance.' Perhaps someone could explain please?
Also, if the flight deck oxygen system is found empty, can you still test to see if it last contained oxygen or nitrogen?
Also, if the flight deck oxygen system is found empty, can you still test to see if it last contained oxygen or nitrogen?
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I have seen mentioned that Mr. Irwin was designated as Chief Engineer for Helios (presumably replacing Kyriacos Pylavakis). Did he report directly to the Director? Or was Irwin the Director of Maintenance? Or, since Mr. Pantazis, the General Manager, holds an engineering degree, was he also acting as Director of Mainentance?
Another question or two for those in the know: There is a very strong possibility that the aircraft departed Larnaca with bleeds off and APU running (given the fairly full weight load and the high temperature of the day). If that were the case, in what mode would the pressurization switch be set at takeoff (auto/standby or manual)? When the bleeds and packs were turned on and the APU off (somewhere between 10,000 and 16,000 feet), would the pressurization switch also need to be reset? If the APU was not functioning properly, could this result in the often talked about equipment cooling problem?
Another question or two for those in the know: There is a very strong possibility that the aircraft departed Larnaca with bleeds off and APU running (given the fairly full weight load and the high temperature of the day). If that were the case, in what mode would the pressurization switch be set at takeoff (auto/standby or manual)? When the bleeds and packs were turned on and the APU off (somewhere between 10,000 and 16,000 feet), would the pressurization switch also need to be reset? If the APU was not functioning properly, could this result in the often talked about equipment cooling problem?
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Another question or two for those in the know: There is a very strong possibility that the aircraft departed Larnaca with bleeds off and APU running (given the fairly full weight load and the high temperature of the day). If that were the case, in what mode would the pressurization switch be set at takeoff (auto/standby or manual)?
***Auto normally
When the bleeds and packs were turned on and the APU off (somewhere between 10,000 and 16,000 feet), would the pressurization switch also need to be reset?
***No. Still 'auto'. NB This is 'normally' done in the after take-off checks, at around 2-3000'. Packs are NOT normally turned off, only engine bleeds.
If the APU was not functioning properly, could this result in the often talked about equipment cooling problem?
*** Don't see why unless the reconfiguration was either forgotten or done far later.
***Auto normally
When the bleeds and packs were turned on and the APU off (somewhere between 10,000 and 16,000 feet), would the pressurization switch also need to be reset?
***No. Still 'auto'. NB This is 'normally' done in the after take-off checks, at around 2-3000'. Packs are NOT normally turned off, only engine bleeds.
If the APU was not functioning properly, could this result in the often talked about equipment cooling problem?
*** Don't see why unless the reconfiguration was either forgotten or done far later.
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'Standby' or 'Alternate' (depends on the equipment) would be the normal first choice. There should be no need for manual unless the automatics failed. I have lost the detail of this - do we know which system was on this aircraft? DCPS or CPCS?
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We know certain facts that have been officially reconfirmed after the re-enactment. The cabin altitude warning horn sounded at 12,000 feet, four minutes from takeoff. A few seconds later (09.11.50), the captain reported an air-conditioning problem and requested clearance from ATC to hold at 16,000 feet, which happens to be the maximum for APU bleed supply.
However, 10,000 feet is the limit if APU supplied both bleeds and electric. If they had missed that, a resulting APU bus failure could cause a host of electrical problems to other electrical systems, including packs, E&E Bay cooling fans, and/or outflow valve control in auto.
Why pick 16,000 to level off, if not to check that pressurization is back to normal after bleed reconfiguration has been completed? If the cabin pressure hadn’t been restored to 8,000 feet and was still climbing to 14,000 with the pressurization switch in Auto or Alternate, wouldn’t they switch it to Manual so as to manually close the outflow valve? This may be why the investigators are now saying, after the re-enactment, that the final position of the switch in Manual was not as significant as previously thought. They have even suggested that the crew had intentionally sought to control the valve in Manual.
Other facts we know are that the captain called his Larnaca maintenance and reported an electrical problem with air conditioning, cabin lights and equipment cooling fans. The conversation lasted through 28,900 feet. Seconds later, at 29,000 feet, the captain reported back to ATC saying that the problem had been solved and requested clearance to climb to 34,000.
Assuming a bleeds-off takeoff, it seems that leaves us with one or all of three possibilities for an early cause of the pressurization failure at 34,000 feet:
(1) A failure of one or both APU busses, which could cause a short in any neighboring electrical circuits, all the way to the E&E Bay fans and/or the pressurization system.
(2) A single or double pack failure (if one pack fails, loss of pressurization is possible; if both packs fail, the cabin pressure will certainly climb).
(3) Failure of the outflow valve to close completely (it was found one-third open).
However, 10,000 feet is the limit if APU supplied both bleeds and electric. If they had missed that, a resulting APU bus failure could cause a host of electrical problems to other electrical systems, including packs, E&E Bay cooling fans, and/or outflow valve control in auto.
Why pick 16,000 to level off, if not to check that pressurization is back to normal after bleed reconfiguration has been completed? If the cabin pressure hadn’t been restored to 8,000 feet and was still climbing to 14,000 with the pressurization switch in Auto or Alternate, wouldn’t they switch it to Manual so as to manually close the outflow valve? This may be why the investigators are now saying, after the re-enactment, that the final position of the switch in Manual was not as significant as previously thought. They have even suggested that the crew had intentionally sought to control the valve in Manual.
Other facts we know are that the captain called his Larnaca maintenance and reported an electrical problem with air conditioning, cabin lights and equipment cooling fans. The conversation lasted through 28,900 feet. Seconds later, at 29,000 feet, the captain reported back to ATC saying that the problem had been solved and requested clearance to climb to 34,000.
Assuming a bleeds-off takeoff, it seems that leaves us with one or all of three possibilities for an early cause of the pressurization failure at 34,000 feet:
(1) A failure of one or both APU busses, which could cause a short in any neighboring electrical circuits, all the way to the E&E Bay fans and/or the pressurization system.
(2) A single or double pack failure (if one pack fails, loss of pressurization is possible; if both packs fail, the cabin pressure will certainly climb).
(3) Failure of the outflow valve to close completely (it was found one-third open).