A Boeing 737 operated by Helios, an airline based in Cyprus, crashed today near Athens, Greece. There are no reports of survivors. Fighter pilots sent to observe and guide the craft reported that the co-pilot was slumping forward in his seat and the captain was not visible through the cockpit windows. Yellow oxygen masks could be seen hanging down in the passenger cabin.^1.
According to a reporter on a cable news service, the fighter pilots saw the airplane moving in a "triangular" motion, indicating that it had lost the ability to communicate.
Helios operates a fleet of four aircraft consisting of one or two 737-300's and several 737-800's, according to a review of its website.
Early reports say that a text message was sent from a passenger saying that he was freezing. A loss of cabin pressure or oxygen is suspected, reports say. A cable news report presented speculation that the autopilot may have been disengaged when the co-pilot fell forward.
News sources also report that the aircraft's flight recorders have been recovered.
Sources consulted: MSBNC, CNN, Reuters, Helios website.
1. Update: 3:57 p.m. Pacific Time (U.S.) :
"Were there any issues with this particular aircraft?"
"There have been reports today the aircraft... had air-conditioning problems before and in fact was probably grounded round about a month ago for some maintenance to be carried out.
"We have to wait and see for confirmation of that and wait for confirmation to see if the work carried out was up to standard. "
Source of quoted material:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4151322.stm
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