A private helicopter hired to fly a small group of foreign passengers to Mykonos crashed on Sunday in the sea area off Vouliagmeni beach in the southern suburbs of Athens.
The incident took place shortly after take off and before the eyes of dozens of beachgoers, under as-yet-unclear circumstances.
The five people on board -the helicopter pilot and four tourists- managed to reach the shore safely and were reported lightly injured as they received first aid.
The Hellenic Coast Guard Headquarters has launched an ongoing investigation into the causes of the helicopter crash in the south of Athens.
A Hellenic Coast Guard vessel rushed to the scene, while a land vehicle and a private diver were also assisting in the operation to facilitate the investigation and ensure the safe recovery of the helicopter from the waters, AMNA reports.
According to the Greek public broadcaster, ERT, the pilot advised the passengers to jump into the sea as soon as he spotted a technical problem during takeoff, while he stayed on board trying to take height and recover his control of the helicopter.
Eye witnesses told local media that the four tourists, identified as two young American couples, were in great shock following their rescue.
The helipad’s managing company, yacht club Astir Marina on the Athens Riviera, confirmed in a statement that everybody on board the crashed helicopter was safe.
An official announcement said the company immediately informed the competent authorities and activated the emergency plan without delay.
“Astir Marina vessels rushed to the scene and successfully proceeded to safely collect the passengers,” they added.
No marine pollution has been caused and there is no environmental risk. Nevertheless, for precautionary reasons, floating barriers were placed in the area in a timely manner.
Greek newspaper Proto Thema reports that a piloting error is suspected as the cause of the crash of the Airbus 355. It argues that the pilot should have taken off against the wind, but instead tried to take a turn on the same direction that the wind was blowing, thus causing the aircraft to lose stability.
It also observes that a former mayor of the Municipality of Vouliagmeni, the Athens suburb where the helicopter crash happened, had repeatedly warned against the creation and licensing of a helipad at this location, for reasons of spatial unsuitability.
