The Mystery of Helios Airways Flight 522: A Tragic Flight That Ended in Silence

TLDRHelios Airways Flight 522, carrying 115 passengers, experienced a major problem with pressurization, causing the crew and passengers to lose consciousness. Flight attendant Andreas Prodromu managed to survive using portable oxygen, but was unable to regain control of the plane. The aircraft ultimately ran out of fuel and crashed, resulting in no survivors. Investigation revealed the cause to be a manual setting error during pre-flight preparations. The tragedy highlighted the importance of effective communication and training for both pilots and cabin crew.

Key insights

💥Helios Airways Flight 522 experienced a major problem with pressurization, leading to the incapacitation of the crew and passengers.

🌬️Flight attendant Andreas Prodromu managed to survive using portable oxygen, but was unable to regain control of the plane.

📶The aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed, resulting in no survivors.

🔍Investigation revealed that the manual setting of the pressurization system was left unchanged during pre-flight preparations.

📚The tragedy highlighted the importance of effective communication and training for both pilots and cabin crew.

Q&A

What caused the loss of pressurization in Helios Airways Flight 522?

The pressurization system was set to manual during pre-flight preparations and was not returned to automatic, causing insufficient pressurization and the incapacitation of the crew and passengers.

How did flight attendant Andreas Prodromu survive?

Prodromu used portable oxygen to survive, but was unable to regain control of the plane.

Were there any survivors in the crash?

No, there were no survivors. The plane ran out of fuel and crashed.

What did the investigation reveal about the cause of the crash?

The investigation revealed that the manual setting error of the pressurization system, combined with a lack of communication, led to the tragedy.

What lessons were learned from the Helios Airways Flight 522 tragedy?

The tragedy highlighted the importance of effective communication and training for both pilots and cabin crew in emergency situations.

Timestamped Summary

00:03Radio contact is lost with Helios Airways Flight 522, causing concern about a possible hijacking.

01:18Flight 522 takes off from Cyprus with 115 passengers and experiences a problem with the pressurization system.

09:35Flight attendant Andreas Prodromu survives by using portable oxygen, but is unable to regain control of the plane.

07:48The aircraft runs out of fuel and crashes near Athens, resulting in no survivors.

12:34Investigation reveals a manual setting error with the pressurization system during pre-flight preparations.

15:28The crew misinterprets alarms and is incapacitated by a lack of oxygen.

16:56Andreas Prodromu calls for help, but no one can hear him.

13:44The aircraft remains on autopilot, maintaining its flight path and entering a holding pattern.