Every accident involving a plane is shocking. Especially when the incident concerns accident with the dead. Condition quite common when talking about plane crashes or crashes.
The incidents concerning the Greek territory have remained in the history of the air tragedies, turning the eyes of the world public opinion towards here. From the first recorded within the borders in June 1949 when a Dakota type aircraft flying the Kavala-Athens route in bad weather loses its right wing and crashes in the area of Malakasa leading its 22 passengers to death, to the untold tragedy with flight crash 522 of Cyprus Airways Helios Airways was a Boeing 737-31S in Grammatiko, Attica. A crash that killed a total of 121 people.
One case, however, had shocked domestic and European data not only about the loss of human lives but also about the nature of the accident and the terrifying cargo carried (unknowingly by many) by the crashed plane. Her flight Swiss Air 316, from Geneva to Athens on October 7, 1979, cost the lives of 14 people and could have been fatal for hundreds more.
The large Swissair passenger aircraft took off from Geneva on 7/10/1986 bound for Hellinikon airport in Athens. There were 154 passengers, 142 passengers and 12 crew members on board. The flight had not encountered the slightest problem and all that remained was to touch the ground and be immobilized.
Apparently at least all the standard landing procedures by the two pilots were followed normally. The treadmill that would be used was the 15L.
A few seconds later, however, everything went wrong. According to the outcome of the trial that followed and came out after 4 years, a mishandling by Governor Franz Smuts, led the aircraft not to stop at the intended point, to reach the end of the runway and go to an adjacent road.
The collision was so fierce that the tail and the left side of the akato were separated. The plane was found on the road near Golf of Glyfada, which had an altitude difference of about four meters compared to the airport.
Pressing the wheels up resulted in the horrific death of 14 passengers.
Athens experienced moments of red alert. Rescue crews, ambulances and fire brigade immediately rushed to the scene, after the fire had caused a fire.
The immediate mobilization of the authorities resulted in the saving of many lives. In any case, neither the crew, nor the passengers, nor the rescuers, nor even the locals who were near the crash site, out of curiosity or interest in helping, knew the degree of danger they were in.
The plane did not make a conventional flight. In the luggage of a doctor there were more than 450 kilos of radioisotopes, but also a small amount of plutonium.
The shock suffered by the Panhellenic was great: An aircraft is torn to pieces, reaching a breath away from people's homes and the road around it airport that the vehicles were passing normally.
Fortunately for everyone, the dangerous radioactive materials did not cause much damage.
In the "bowels" of her boat Swiss Air there were industrial cuts diamonds, then worth $ 2 million. Destination of rich cargo is Bombay (as it was called at the time).
Most of this treasure was destroyed as the high temperatures rendered it useless.
The company tried to get to the end of the line and somehow justify the tragedy. The authorities, for their part, were also trying to reach a solution to the riddle.
The conclusion of the experts "showed" the two pilots as guilty. The pilots were too late to land the plane, losing about half of the runway, while the descent took place at a much faster speed than expected.
According to the data from the black box, the aircraft hit the ground at a speed of 142 knots (approximately 270 kilometers) per hour, while the reverse thrust system was not used properly, which functions as an additional brake mechanism during landing.
The company proposed the scenario that nature was responsible for the evil. For the company, an autumn rain that fell in Attica earlier that day had left a slippery slope in the corridor. For the company the slip led to the aircraft not being slowed down effectively.
The trial ended after 4 years with the court accepting the conclusion of the committee that had shouldered the task of the investigation. One member of the Accident Investigation Committee's Operations Team had a different opinion from the other members of the Committee on the causes of the accident, stating that he believed the crew did not realize the speed and landing distance, did not follow the company's landing technique in poor conditions. and did not make proper use of the aircraft's braking and reverse thrust systems.
Governor and co-pilot were sentenced to 5 and 2,5 years in prison, respectively, on charges of negligent homicide, multiple bodily harm and air traffic obstruction.
The two pilots were released on bail until the case reached the Court of Appeals, which commuted their sentence to redeemable.
In fact, they did not spend an hour in jail while staying in the company but did not throw away drinks again.