The Mystery of Helios Airways Flight 522

🛫Helios Airways Flight 522 suffered from a pressurization system failure, causing lack of oxygen and leading to the incapacitation of the pilots.

😵‍💫Both pilots on Flight 522 experienced rapid onset hypoxia, resulting in confusion, disorientation, and the inability to address the problem.

🔴Despite multiple warnings and alarms, the pilots failed to recognize the severity of the situation and did not put on their oxygen masks.

🔇Communication between the pilots and ground control was lost, leading to confusion and delayed response.

🔄Flight 522 entered a holding pattern over the Greek island of Kea, indicating a missed approach procedure.

What caused the failure of the pressurization system on Flight 522?

—The pressurization mode selector on Flight 522 was set to manual instead of auto, causing the cabin to not pressurize correctly.

Why did the pilots not respond to the alarms and warnings?

—The pilots were suffering from rapid onset hypoxia, which impaired their cognitive abilities and prevented them from understanding the severity of the alarms.

Did the flight crew attempt an emergency descent?

—No, the flight crew did not perform an emergency descent to a lower altitude, which could have provided a safe breathing environment.

What was the cause of the confusion between the pilots and ground control?

—The pilots' impaired cognitive abilities and the misinterpretation of alarms and warnings led to the confusion and lack of communication.

Why did Flight 522 enter a holding pattern over Kea?

—Flight 522 entered a holding pattern as part of its missed approach procedure, but the pilots failed to initiate an emergency descent.

00:11Introduction to the mysterious events of Helios Airways Flight 522.

01:29The flight takes off from Larnaca airport, and the pressurization system failure begins to unfold.

02:26An inspection by the ground engineer fails to identify any issues with the pressurization system.

04:00The flight crew boards the plane, unaware of the pilots' previous history and the impending tragedy.

05:36Errors during pre-flight checklists and the failure to set the pressurization mode correctly lead to the cabin not pressurizing.

07:08The pilots fail to notice the signs of cabin pressurization failure due to hypoxia.

09:23The effects of hypoxia on the human body and its impact on the pilots' decision-making ability.

11:12Contact with the cockpit is lost, and the plane enters a holding pattern.