On August 14, 2005, Helios Airways Flight 522, en route from Cyprus to Prague, tragically crashed after losing cabin pressure, which led to oxygen deprivation. A fighter pilot, Captain Grammatiko, was sent to investigate when the plane stopped responding to air traffic control.Upon reaching the unresponsive plane, he saw the co-pilot slumped over, and a flight attendant, Andreas Prodromou, was desperately trying to take control of the aircraft. However, without pilot training, Prodromou’s efforts were futile. The plane continued on autopilot until it ran out of fuel, crashing into a mountain near Athens, killing all aboard.
The cause of the crash was traced to a malfunction in the cabin pressurization system. The haunting image of a “ghost plane,” flying without human control, remains one of aviation’s most devastating incidents.