Timeline of Greek crash

2005-08-15 06:41

Athens - A timeline of events leading up to the crash of a Cypriot airliner in Greece, in which 121 people were killed, according to the Greek government.

09:00 - Helios Airlines Flight ZU522, a Boeing 737, with 115 passengers and six crew members on board takes off from Larnaca International Airport in Cyprus, heading for Athens, Greece, and then Prague, Czech Republic.

09:37 - The plane enters Greek airspace and is identified by Greece's Civil Aviation Authority.

10:07 - Control tower at Athens International Airport is unable to establish communication with the plane.

10:20 - Air traffic controllers notify their counterparts at Larnaca who say the plane reported a problem with its air conditioning system before entering Greek airspace.

10:25 - Greece's Civil Aviation Authority notifies Defense Ministry's national search and rescue center.

10:30 - The Greek Defense Ministry issues a Renegade alert, a standard aviation procedure when a plane fails to respond to the control tower.

10:55 - Two F-16 fighter jets scramble to locate airliner.

11:20 - Fighter jets make visual contact with the Cypriot jet over Aegean island of Kea, but are unable to communicate with pilots.

11:25 - The Cypriot plane appears unconscious in the cockpit, while the other pilot was absent. Oxygen masks also seem to have been activated in the plane.

12:05 - Airliner crashes near coastal town of Grammatiko, about 40 km north of Athens.

- AP