Flights Gone Wrong

Real stories. Deeper understanding.

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Every event we cover, by year.

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2 events

  1. Photo: Mila Daniel / CC BY-SA 4.0

    Helios Airways Flight 522

    Hypoxia on a flight to Athens

    Open event

    Helios Airways Flight 522, a Boeing 737-300 flying from Larnaca to Athens and Prague on 14 August 2005, never pressurised because a selector had been left in manual after overnight maintenance, and the pilots were overcome by hypoxia as the aircraft climbed on autopilot. It flew on unresponsive for almost three hours, circling near Athens until its fuel ran out, and crashed into hills near Grammatiko, killing all 121 people on board.

    3 video perspectives

  2. Photo: Rivet Joint / CC BY 2.0

    Olympic Airways Flight 411

    An engine failure over Athens

    Open event

    An engine failed as Olympic Airways Flight 411, a fully loaded Boeing 747 bound for New York, lifted off from Athens on 9 August 1978, and the jet barely climbed as it crossed the city at rooftop height. The crew nursed it out over the sea, dumped fuel and landed back at Athens about an hour later, and all 418 people on board survived.

    1 video perspective