Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-08-14

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Cypriot passenger jet crashes north of Athens

[01] Cypriot passenger jet crashes north of Athens

The airliner was due to land at Athens international airport at 12:20 hours for a stopover before taking new passengers aboard and flying to Prague.

The jet's crew made no contact with Athens air traffic control from the the time the craft entered Greek airspace, prompting the Civil Aviation Authority to alert the air force in line with anti-terrorism measures.

Two fighter jets dispatched from a military base near Athens located the aircraft a few minutes later, but calls for identification went unheeded, government sources said.

The air force pilots reported that the plane's captain appeared to have collapsed over the controls and no co-pilot was visible through the cockpit window. Overhead oxygen masks in the passenger section had dropped into place.

The fighter jets accompanied the airliner until it crashed near Grammatikos in a mostly unihabited area.

Firefighters and rescue workers sped to the wreckage as military helicopters patrolled overhead.

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