Cypriot airliner crashes in Greece
Greek air force seen shadowing airliner before crash
A Cypriot Helios Airways jet with 115 passengers and six crew members on board crashed Sunday north of Athens, the Defense Ministry and fire department said.
The plane crashed at about 12:20 p.m. (5:20 a.m.EDT) near the coastal town of Kalamos, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Athens.
Eyewitnesses told an Athens radio station the plane was being shadowed by fighter jets when it went down.
The site of the crash (Photo: Reuters)
It was unclear why the plane went down. The flight was headed from the Cypriot city of Larnaca to Athens
International Airport.
After losing contact with the Athens control tower, the Greek air force scrambled two F-16 fighter jets.
Greek radio and television stations said the air force pilots reportedly saw no movement in the cockpit of the plane before the crash. Reports said one of the pilots may have fallen ill.
Helios Airways is a privately owned Cypriot airline.
