Helicopter crash in Vouliagmeni: Prosecutor orders investigation, 57-year-old captain released

In the meantime, the Athens First Instance Prosecutor's Office ordered a preliminary investigation to determine the causes of the helicopter crash and to assign criminal responsibilities, if any are found.

At the same time, the 57-year-old captain of the helicopter was taken to court after being arrested by the port authorities, but he was released and a preliminary investigation was ordered.

How the helicopter crashed

The helicopter had taken off from Aspropyrgos, with a stopover at Vouliagmeni Marina to pick up four passengers heading to Mykonos. During the takeoff process, and while hovering about one meter above the ground, it was hit by strong gusts of wind that swept it away and threw it on its front right side into the sea, near the green entrance light.

The four passengers and the 57-year-old Greek captain managed to get out of the helicopter by swimming to the rocks. From there, they were picked up by a marina boat and transported to the pier.

Everyone was examined by the EKAB ambulance crew and it was determined that they were in good health, with the sole exception of one of the two women – who was pregnant – who was transferred to a private maternity clinic for precautionary reasons.

After the crash, the helicopter sank. The marina management body installed a floating barrier to prevent pollution, while with the help of a diver and a crane, the aircraft was lifted and transported to the facilities of Tatoi airport for technical inspection and investigation of the causes of the accident.
Helicopter crash into the sea at Vouliagmeni marina

What the passengers said in their statements

In addition, yesterday (15/6) four of the five passengers of the helicopter gave statements to the Port Authorities.

They attributed the crash to the strong wind blowing at that time in the area, which affected the helicopter's course. The fifth passenger, a pregnant woman, was unable to testify due to her condition.

She was immediately provided with the necessary medical care. All five passengers were rescued unharmed, with only minor injuries.

The Airbus AS355 helicopter had taken off from the Marina field, and not from the Asteras helipad, as is customary. There was chaos at the scene of the crash, but the reaction of the authorities was immediate and decisive. The incident is being investigated, while a video of the crash has already been included in the preliminary analysis.

However, according to initial technical assessments, the possibility that the helicopter crash was due to incorrect handling is also being considered. As experienced pilots explain to protothema.gr, the captain should have headed to the right, that is, against the wind, which was blowing strongly from the right side of the vessel.

Instead, it attempted a left turn, exposing the helicopter to a “crosswind” – one of the most dangerous take-off conditions, as both power and flight stability are drastically reduced. However, all this will be assessed by experts since the investigation is at an early stage.

According to experts, the Airbus 355 helicopter, despite being twin-engine, is not renowned for its power under heavy load conditions. Especially from an elevated field like that of Vouliagmeni Marina, a Performance A category machine is required – a characteristic that this particular helicopter, weighing 3 tons, did not meet.

Despite the severity of the fall, none of the passengers were seriously injured. Four of them suffered minor injuries and bruises, without requiring hospitalization, while the pregnant woman received medical support.

The immediate intervention of the Fire Department, which has a detachment in the area and its men immediately realized the fall and rushed to the scene, the Coast Guard, the EKAB, but also the Astir Marina's watercraft, proved decisive for their safe recovery.