What happened
On 14 August 2005, a Boeing 737-300, registration 5B-DBY, departed from Larnaca, Cyprus, bound for Prague via Athens. During the initial climb, while passing 16,000 feet, the pilot notified the airline's operations center regarding an equipment cooling issue and a take-off configuration warning. Following a series of communications with the operations center, the aircraft reached 28,900 feet, after which all radio contact with the flight was lost. At approximately 18,200 feet, the passenger oxygen masks deployed within the cabin.
The aircraft continued its flight path, passing over Athens International Airport and entering a holding pattern near the KEA VOR. During the sixth circuit of this pattern, two Hellenic Air Force F-16 fighters intercepted the plane. Upon close inspection, the intercepting pilot observed that the captain's seat was empty and the first officer was slumped over the flight controls. The pilot also noted dangling oxygen masks and several motionless passengers in the cabin. Later, an individual was seen entering the cockpit and sitting in the captain's seat, but they failed to respond to visual signals from the intercepting aircraft.
As the aircraft's fuel supply was exhausted, the left engine failed at 08:50, followed by the right engine at 09:00 while at an altitude of roughly 7,100 feet. The aircraft entered a rapid descent and struck hilly terrain near Grammatiko, Greece, at 09:03. The accident resulted in 121 fatalities, comprising all 115 passengers and 6 crew members.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a loss of communication following reports of technical malfunctions.
- The deployment of passenger oxygen masks occurred during the climb phase.
- Fuel depletion caused the subsequent engine flameouts and the uncontrolled descent.