On August 14, 2005, Helios Airways Flight 522 took off from Larnaca, Cyprus, heading to Prague. At first, everything seemed normal. But something was terribly wrong inside the aircraft.
The cabin was slowly losing oxygen due to an incorrect pressurization setting. As oxygen levels dropped, passengers and crew gradually became unconscious without realizing what was happening.
The plane kept flying on autopilot for hours, continuing along its planned route while everyone onboard was unresponsive. Air traffic control lost contact, and fighter jets were sent to intercept the aircraft over Greece.
What the pilots saw was chilling. Through the cockpit window, they could see the captain slumped over the controls and passengers sitting motionless in their seats.
In the final moments, a flight attendant who had regained partial consciousness entered the cockpit and attempted to take control of the plane.
But it was too late. The aircraft eventually ran out of fuel, and the plane crashed in Greece, killing all 121 people onboard.
The tragedy became known as the “Ghost Flight,” and investigators later confirmed the crash was caused by loss of cabin pressurization that led to oxygen deprivation for everyone on board.
