Ep 5. Alarming Silence

On this episode of Air Disasters, we dive into the mysterious case of Helios Airways Flight 522. The flight took off from Larnaca, Cyprus, bound for Athens, Greece, on August 14th, 2005. But a routine flight quickly devolved into a tragedy, when the crew became unresponsive and the plane ultimately crashed into a mountain.

The episode begins with a brief overview of the flight and what was initially believed to be a depressurization issue. However, it soon becomes clear that there's more to the story than just a technical malfunction. Interviews with family members and loved ones of the passengers provide a sobering look at the devastating impact of the crash, as well as the uncertainty and confusion of not knowing what caused it.

As investigators begin to piece together the timeline of what went wrong on Flight 522, they uncover a number of alarming details. One of the most striking is that the entire crew, including the two pilots and four flight attendants, seemed to be unconscious or incapacitated for much of the flight. The plane had flown on autopilot for over two hours before crashing, which made it clear that something had gone very wrong in the cockpit.

The investigation also reveals that there were a number of communication breakdowns leading up to the crash. The pilots reported a problem with the cabin pressure early on in the flight, but the communication between the cockpit and ground control was disjointed and unclear. Meanwhile, the flight attendants were reportedly trying to help the pilots with the problem, but it's unclear what if any steps were actually taken to rectify the issue.

As the episode progresses, we see how the investigation team investigates a range of possible explanations for the crash. They consider everything from equipment failure to pilot error to deliberate sabotage, but none of the theories seem to completely fit the available evidence.

Ultimately, the investigation leads to a shocking revelation about what happened on board Helios Airways Flight 522 that day. The episode ends with a sobering look at the impact of the crash on families and friends of those who lost their lives, as well as the aviation industry as a whole.

Overall, Alarming Silence is a gripping episode of Air Disasters that takes a deep dive into a complex and tragic aviation event. By examining the details of the flight, the investigation process, and the aftermath of the crash, the episode provides a fascinating look at the factors that can lead to air disasters. If you're a fan of the series or just interested in aviation history, this is definitely an episode you won't want to miss.