HISTORY
HISTORY
On February 5, 1991, the crash of a C-130 aircraft of the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) wrote a “black page” in the history of the Hellenic Armed Forces, which ‘flooded’ an entire country with silence and sorrow.
The Deputy Minister of Defence, Mr. Nikolaos Hardalias, attended on Saturday, February 5, 2022, as a representative of the Greek Government, the event of remembrance and honor, organized by the Municipality of Piraeus, for the sixty-three fallen Officers, Non Commissioned Officers and Aircraftmen on board of the C-130 military transport aircraft, which crashed on Mount Othrys, on February 5, 1991.
During the ceremony, which took place in the “C – 130 Aviator and Fallen Heroes” Square in Piraeus, a Commemorative Prayer was performed, while subsequently, the Deputy Minister laid a wreath.
The tragedy background
It was Tuesday, February 5, 1991, when a HAF C-130 transport aircraft took off from Elefsina Airport bound for Nea Anchialos. Twenty minutes after take-off, the aircraft was off-radar.
After three days of searching, on the morning of Friday, February 8, the commander of a military helicopter that participated in the search mission identified the wreckage of the C-130 at the Tsatali peak of Mount Othrys, at an altitude of 1,520m. None of the 63 Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and Aircraftmen survived the crash. The trial started after three years and nine months, on November 4, 1994, at the Athens Air Force Court.
The fateful US-type HAF aircraft C-130, with serial number 748, had taken off just before noon from the airport of Elefsina, as part of an ordered mission related to our country’s involvement in the events in the Persian Gulf.
Its destination, according to information released by the Ministry of Defence, was Crete, but it first had to collect personnel from the 111 Airbase (Anchialos) and transport it to the 115 Airbase (Chania) and to Tympaki. The plane was about 38 kilometers from Anchialos, when it suddenly went off-radar without any problem being previously reported by its pilot, Flight Lieutenant D. Bina.
According to the official documents submitted to the military courts, its last contact with the control tower of the 111 Air Base was at 12.55 noon while its landing process had begun due to low clouds and bad weather prevailing in the area. Then, the aircraft simply disappeared into thin air…
Eight F-16s, two C-130s, two CL-215 firefighters, two Chinook helicopters, Navy helicopters, and naval cooperation aircraft began searching the area where the aircraft was lost. At the same time, large forces of special forces and marines began to scour the possible points of its fall, looking mainly above the imaginary line of the course that it should have followed.
But despite the huge mobilization, the wreckage of the C-130 was located after four days on the slope “Tsatali” of Mount Othrys, about 60 kilometers away from the point where it should normally be and at the wrong angle of 63 degrees. The cause of the fatal plane crash has never been known.
Also read: Christodoulos Sozos | The Mayor of Limassol who sacrificed himself for the liberation of Ioannina
NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIPTION
Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day
On this day, 109 years ago, the genocide of the Armenian people by the Ottoman Empire began, with April 24 being the day of…
April 10, 1826 | The heroic Exodus of Messolonghi
Three years after the failed attempt of Kioutachis and Omer Vryonis to capture Messolonghi, the Sultan had a new plan.
Hellenic Army General Staff (HAGS) | Events for the 83rd Anniversary of the Battle of the Forts
On Sunday, April 7, 2024, the 83rd anniversary of the Battle of the Forts (April 6-9, 1941) was celebrated at “LISSE”, “RUPEL”,…
Saint George | The Patron Saint of the Army and the Infantry
Saint George is one of the most prominent Saints of the Christian religion, not only of the Eastern Orthodox Church, but also of all…
QinetiQ | UK’s first Manned – Unmanned aircraft Teaming
QinetiQ has successfully trialled the UK’s first Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) demonstration between a crewed aircraft and a drone.
Lambda Automata | Investment in UAV technology
Greek Lambda Automata has recently announced a major development that will strengthen its position in the defence industry.
Limassol | Firecrackers and fireworks spread chaos – Photos
The night of Holy Saturday in Limassol was eventful, as the Police and Fire Service faced a massive attack by a group of youths.
Georgia | Another session in two weeks on the controversial “foreign influence” bill
Thousands of protesters blocked a central intersection in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, where protests against the controversial…
Russia | Volodymyr Zelensky is wanted
Moscow included the Ukrainian President on its wanted list, clarifying that the warrant for his arrest stems from an article of the…