Incident Overview
While cruising at an altitude of 17,500 feet between Rhodes Island and Cyprus, the crew noted slight vibrations but could not localize them. Four minutes later, a loud bang was heard, followed by an explosion and a violent depressurization. The aircraft lost 1,000 feet of altitude.
Sequence of Events
The captain, who had been sleeping, immediately returned to the cockpit, disengaged the automatic pilot system, and initiated an emergency descent at a rate of 300–500 feet per minute. The copilot informed air traffic control of the decision to divert to Nicosia Airport. The crew then realized that engine number three had fallen off and subsequently shut down engine number four and feathered its propeller.
Ditching and Aftermath
The captain decided to ditch the aircraft on a calm sea approximately two nautical miles off the Fethiye lighthouse. Ten minutes after landing, the empennage broke off and sank. Some passengers swam to shore, and the aircraft eventually sank two hours later. Three crew members were injured, 35 occupants were unhurt, and four passengers were killed.
Probable Cause
According to the investigation, the physical loss of engine number three was caused by the loss of a propeller blade in flight. However, the cause of this failure could not be determined with certainty.