“Helios” crash investigations reach turning point, says Tsolakis

Head of the Greek Investigating Commission of Air Accidents and Incidents Akrivos Tsolakis has said that investigations into the cause of the crash of an Helios Airways Boeing 737, that killed all 121 people on board, have reached a turning point.

Speaking at Larnaca airport on arrival, Tsolakis said that investigations are continuing at a faster pace than anticipated, noting “we know where we are going and I can say that we know where we will end”.

He called on the relatives of the victims, most of them Cypriots, to be patient and wait for the outcome of the investigations before instigating any legal proceedings.

Tsolakis said that the Commission had received a letter from an American law firm, the content of which he described as “unacceptable” since as he explained, it “suggested how we should do our job”. He said he responded by informing them about the laws and regulations on the basis of which the Commission operates.

With regard to the investigations, he said four members of the Commission are in Washington at Boeing headquarters examining parts of the aircraft collected from the scene of the crash, at Grammatikos, near Athens.

Tsolakis will stay in Cyprus until 22 October and is expected to take around 20 testimonies. Six persons will be questioned for the first time.

Testimonies will be taken from “Helios” personnel and staff at the Department of Civil Aviation, Cyprus Airways and Eurocypria.

An Helios aircraft crashed near Athens on 14 August, 2005, killing all 121 people on board.