The chief investigator of the Cypriot Boeing 737-300 that crashed near Athens last August, killing all 121 people on board, presented a 200-page draft report to Cyprus authorities Thursday, saying he expected the final report by mid-July.
Akrivos Tsolakis of the Greek Committee for the Investigation of Air Accidents said that the report includes the findings into the causes of the crash but does not apportion blame on any one.
He handed a copy of the confidential report to Cypriot Air Accidents Committee chairman Costas Orphanou during a meeting with President Tassos Papadopoulos and Transport Minister Haris Thrassou.
Tsolakis said that the Cypriot authorities and Helios Airways have 60 days to respond to the draft in order for him to produce the final report ahead of the anniversary of the fatal crash.
He said that “thousands of hours” of effort were put into the producing the report employing 20 investigators, but referred to unsuccessful “shadowy efforts” by certain people to block the conclusion of the report.
House of Representatives President Demetris Christofias appealed to the investigators to show no mercy and apportion blame to anyone found to be responsible for the crash in any way.
The government appointed a former Supreme Court judge to one-man investigation committee to look into the causes of the crash only last week. He will be assisted by two experts and other personnel.
Government spokesman George Lillykas said that the Cypriot investigation “concerns the conditions under which licences are given to companies, aircraft and staff, as well as the conduct of controls in general and specifically for this flight and for this aircraft.”
He said that President Papadopoulos has pledged that those responsible will be identified “regardless of title, office, political party or other position, interest or connection.”
Relatives of the air crash victims have also called for the Attorney General to investigate why Helios has since been renamed Ajet Airlines, claiming that this is part of a cover-up conspiracy involving government officials.
