Today marks the 21st anniversary of the “Helios,” when Flight HCY 522, which had departed from Larnaca bound for Prague with a stopover in Athens, crashed in Grammatiko, Attica, claiming the lives of 121 people. Relatives of the victims speak to KYPE about those first agonizing hours, the loss, the assignment of blame, and the memories that remain vivid in their minds.
Christiana Tsiopani lost five members of her family: her uncle, her mother’s brother, Kyriakos (Kolokasis) Kyprianou, 48; her aunt Anastasia, 43; and their three children: Stella, 14; Christia, 12; and Christodoulos, 6. The family of five from Dali was traveling to Porto Heli for vacation via Athens.
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Her uncle, aunt, and three cousins lived next door to her family’s home. “We grew up together; they were like second parents to us, and the children were like our siblings,” she says.
Raffaella Savva, who was about 12 years old at the time, lost her grandfather and grandmother, Kleopa Nikolaou, 66, and Giannoula Neophytou, 55, from Kokkinotrimithia. The two were traveling to Prague for their summer vacation.
“In an instant, we lost two people who were part of our lives,” she says.
The Boeing 737 was carrying 115 passengers and a six-member crew. Ms. Tsiopani vividly remembers the moment they saw the news on TV that there was an “uncontrolled plane” belonging to “Helios.”
“We immediately became worried and started calling their cell phones. They rang, but no one answered,” she told CNA.
Raffaella Savva recalls the same anxiety. “At first, it was mainly anxiety and waiting to find out if this was indeed the flight my grandfather and grandmother were on,” she says. Her family had gathered at home and was constantly watching the news, waiting for the passengers’ names to be released.
At 10:15, the aircraft entered the Athens FIR without establishing contact with air traffic control. At 11:05, two F-16 fighter jets took off from Nea Anchialos and made visual contact with the Boeing at 11:18. It was determined that the co-pilot was unconscious, the pilot was not at his station, and the oxygen masks in the cockpit had been activated.
The aircraft continued on its course on autopilot. Flight attendant Andreas Prodromou, who remained conscious the longest, later attempted to take control of the aircraft.
As the aircraft continued on its course, families in Cyprus waited for answers.
After the fuel ran out, the engines stopped running, and at 12:04 p.m. the aircraft crashed in the Grammatiko area of Attica, resulting in the loss of all 121 people on board.
When news of the crash broke, Ms. Tsiopani and her brother rushed to the airport seeking information about their relatives.
“Other relatives arrived there as well, asking to find out what had happened to their loved ones. It was a tragic scene, with many parents pleading for information and crying out for their children,” she says.
For Ms. Savva’s family, confirmation also came during those first hours of waiting. “When it was finally confirmed that she was on the flight, it was a huge shock for our entire family and our relatives,” she says.
For both families, the difficult process of recognition and identification followed.
Ms. Tsiopani’s mother, her brother, and another uncle traveled to Greece. “There they were confronted with the most harrowing sights,” she says, noting that the bodies were unrecognizable and that the identification process was carried out using DNA. The identification of her uncle was delayed, and, as she recalls, the family waited for the funeral to take place.
Ms. Savva also has vivid memories of that period. “I was about 12 years old at the time, and although I couldn’t fully understand everything that was happening, I remember very vividly the anxiety, the grief, and the shock that gripped our family,” she says. The sudden loss is what has remained most vividly in her memory from that time.
“It changed our lives. It left us with a wound that won’t heal,” says Ms. Tsiopani.
The images of those first days and the funerals remain vivid in her memory. “The pain was so heavy it could shatter even stones,” she says. She makes special mention of their grandmother, who, despite the loss of her son and his family, “had deep faith in God and supported us and helped us endure.”
The Greek Accident Investigation and Flight Safety Commission published its findings in October 2006, noting, among other things, that the pressurization system selector had remained in the manual position and that the crew did not recognize the relevant warnings in time. Akrivos Tsolakis, who, as Chairman of the Commission, led the investigation, had told KYPE in 2022 that the chain of events led to hypoxia and crew incapacitation and, ultimately, to the depletion of fuel.
Ms. Tsiopani believes that the accident “was not a random event,” but the result of “a series of omissions,” which she attributes to the state’s responsibilities and the company’s shortcomings.
She expresses dissatisfaction with the way in which, in her view, the Cypriot prosecution handled and presented the court case. She argues that the charges were incorrectly formulated, that the case focused primarily on whether Helios had hired unqualified pilots, and that not all the issues raised by the investigation were addressed.
According to her, the Kalli report was not properly utilized; she states that it pointed to more serious omissions on the part of Helios and problems within the Cyprus Civil Aviation Authority.
She also argues that the case was presented “so weakly” by the government that it was very difficult to secure convictions, and that “no one was held accountable for the deaths of the 121 people.”
Ms. Tsiopani further states that there were people who were aware of problems at the company but, as she claims, did not speak out for fear of professional repercussions. She also notes that there were operational and oversight problems at the company which, in her view, were overlooked, and that “it wasn’t just the crew’s fault.”
She also refers to information that, she says, was available at the time regarding irregularities in the aircraft’s licensing process.
At the same time, she expresses the hope that, as she puts it, the culture that existed in Cyprus at the time regarding the handling of incidents and the assignment of responsibility, particularly in safety matters that can cost human lives.
In Cyprus, five company executives were brought to trial. The proceedings concluded with the acquittal of the defendants, and subsequently, the Attorney General’s Office suspended the prosecution. In Greece, four company executives were convicted.
Ms. Savva believes that answers have been provided regarding what happened, but not the justice the families were hoping for.
“After 21 years, I still believe that some things could have been done differently,” she says.
She also expresses the view that the families should have received greater support and more complete information and, above all, that true justice should have been served.
For her, there are still emotions, as well as questions that have never been fully resolved. “Time helps, but it doesn’t erase a loss like this,” she says.
She does, however, want to believe that the necessary lessons were learned. “The important thing is that such tragedies lead to changes and greater safety, so that mistakes that can cost human lives are not repeated,” she notes.
For Ms. Tsiopani, one of the most tragic consequences of the accident was that young children lost their parents, and parents lost their children and grandchildren.
Twenty-one years later, what remains for both families is the memory of those who were lost.
“For us, our loved ones continue to live on in our memories,” says Rafaella Savva, adding that the message she would like to leave is “that the protection of human life and safety must always be a priority.”
For Christiana Tsiopani, her memories return to important family moments. “This wound has been etched into our lives. Time does not heal these wounds. Their absence is always there, even in every smile and every moment of joy,” she says.
From the last day before the accident, Ms. Tsiopani still vividly remembers her three cousins who were lost along with their parents: “their voices, their laughter, their final hugs.”
“No matter how many years go by, in our minds they’ve just gone on a long journey, and we hope that God will grant us the chance to be reunited,” she concludes.
Source: CNA
