Incident
While descending to Athens-Hellinikon Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions including heavy rainfall, thunderstorm activity, and turbulence. An active thunderstorm area was located south of the airport. The crew initiated an ILS approach but modified the track to the northeast over the region of Keratea. While flying at an altitude of 2,000 feet with the undercarriage retracted, the aircraft passed over the city of Keratea and then struck the slope of Mount Paneio, located about 20 km southeast of Hellinikon Airport. The aircraft disintegrated on impact.
Aircraft and Occupants
The aircraft was a four-engine airliner. It carried 90 occupants, none of whom survived the crash.
Probable Cause
The official findings state that the pilots were unable to distinguish the mountain due to low visibility caused by night and poor weather conditions. While slightly off track on approach, the airplane struck a mountain slope and was destroyed. The accident is considered to be the consequence of a controlled flight into terrain.