The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 05-08-20

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From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <www.ert.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] A Day After Its Location Second Black Box Decoded

By Mary Lou Tzempelikou

Sources: BEA, ANA, NET

"The investigation in the second Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) found at the scene of the crash was transported to BEA last night by a Greek expert, while the decoding took place during the following hours," is stated in the announcement of French BEA, with which it was made known that the contents of the second black box, which was found on Friday morning in Grammatiko, were decoded. In its announcement it adds that the protective shell, which covered the body of the device, was detached from its initial structure during the fall, however "there was no trace of fire and it had undergone slight damage." Moreover, the announcement states that the BEA intervened in the case of the British Boeing, which performed an emergency landing in France, in order to retrieve information for evaluation, which could eventually help in the investigations of the Helios aircraft. "No extra information will be given by the BEA since the investigation is exclusively in the hands of Greek Authorities," concludes the short announcement. It is noted that regardless of the fact that the Cypriot aircraft crashed on August 14, in all of BEAs announcements the accident date is wrongly stated as August 13. Meanwhile, all Boeing 737-800 of Helios are recalled, and will be investigated by Swedish company SAS starting from Sunday until August 24.

Autopsies Continue

The autopsies on the 22 unrecognisable bodies are expected to be completed until Sunday morning, while the government gave an order to the Greek Embassy in Bonn to receive genetic material from the pilots family for the recognition of the body.

Also, 133 samples of genetic material from victims families have been sent to the labs, while Cypriot geneticist Marios Karioglou, as well as a four-member group of dental experts have arrived at the Athens Morgue.

After the completion of the coroners exams, the data will be checked in three Athens laboratories, while the results of the second phase of the toxicology exams will indicate if the passengers of the flight had inhaled another toxic gas, except for carbon monoxide, are expected starting from Tuesday.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

Related News:

Denial of Articles

Scenarios Confirmed

All is Well for British Boeing

Awaiting Evidence

Related Links:

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[02] By the Government and HCAA Denial of Articles

By Mary Lou Tzempelikou

Sources: NET, NET 105.8

The Chief of the Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA), Dimitrios Stamatis, described todays articles, which speak of the deposition of the Administration ordered by the PM, as farcical. According to todays headlines in Eleftherotypia newspaper, on Friday night the Prime Minister ordered the resignations of the leadership of the HCAA "after the confirmed neglect of the Authority in the surveillance and the control of the aircraft after its entrance in the Athens FIR," as the newspaper writes. The information was denied by government sources, and state that investigations will continue. The cause for the announcement were previous statements which spoke of delays in the procedures ought to be followed by the HCAA, while the Authoritys answer states that all discussions from the control towers will be investigated with special attention, while the foreseen procedures will take place without delay. Up to now, investigations are being taken out and gathering all evidence over the actions of the Authority in the case of the Cypriot aircraft, in order for the findings to be submitted to the PM within the next few days.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

Related News:

Scenarios Confirmed

Related Links:

Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority

Eleftherotypia Newspaper

[03] Scenarios Confirmed

By Mary Lou Tzempelikou

The developments in the feverish investigations to solve the mystery of the crash of the Helios Boeing are rapid. Today, the investigation findings that took place in the crime labs of the Greek Police were announced and state that the bloodstains in the pilots cabin belong to flight attendant Andreas Prodromou, who held a pilots silence. It is noted that the body of the flight attendant has not been yet recognized, but the identification was made with DNA taken from his relatives. After the latest findings, the scenario that some persons tried to regain control of the airplane and land it during the last 23 minutes of flight is confirmed. In the meantime, the evidence from the second black box, which was found near the tail of the craft and contain the conversations of the pilots with the control towers, are expected with special interest.

New Evidence Surfaces

The findings by the analysis of the first black box in France, where the second box has been sent, indicates that eight minutes after the Boeings take off an alarm sounded, and oxygen masks dropped, which means that there was not a sufficient quantity of oxygen in the passenger cabin. The alarm went off 10 minutes after the fall of the Boeing, and when the aircraft started losing ground above Attica, a fact that means as per experts that the aircrafts instruments were operating.

At the same time, the testimony of a Dutch pilot of a charter flight has stirred a commotion, since according to his sayings he heard womens cries in a language he did not understand. The experts estimate that the persons who had entered the pilots cabin were trying to communicate through radio, but did not find the right frequency.

Another fact that experts hope will shed more light to the investigations is the discussion between the German pilot, Hans Jurgen Merten and British ground engineer of Helios, who was informed a few minutes after take off that the airplane was facing a problem with the air condition.

The airline company confirmed the fact that the conversation took place, which was not however recorded. However, there is a written complain over the discussion, which is being investigated by the Cypriot Airplane Accidents and Incidents Committee before it submits it to the Greek Committee.

Moreover, there are speculations that during the conversation between the two men there was a communication problem, possibly due to language, and which stood as an added factor to the aircrafts crash.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

Related News:

Denial of Articles

Awaiting Evidence

[04] A Study by Finnish Scientists Fitness Fights Strokes

By Vagelis Theodorou

Sources: Reuters

Another beneficial effect of body activity for humans seems to have been discovered by Finnish scientists. As per the National Institute for Public Health in Helsinki, exercise during ones free time can decrease the chance of all types of stroke, while walking or bicycling to ones workplace can prevent the most common type of stroke. The Institute observed 48,000 persons for 19 years, and the scientists concluded that moderate physical exercise during ones free time decreased the risk of ischemic stroke by 13%, while risk was 13% and 23% lower for subarachnoid hemorrhage and intracerebral hemorrhage respectively. "Physical exercise can prevent a stroke, decreasing the risk factors such as high-blood pressure, diabetes and obesity," stated the author of the study, Dr Gung Hu. However the exact effect of exercise to the above remains unclear.

Important Findings

In particular, the scientists subjected to observation 47,721 Finns for 19 years, and recorded firstly the level of their physical activity, and secondly the strokes that occurred.

As it emerged by the data, whoever was physically active for at least four hours a week, by walking or gardening, had at least 14% less of a chance to suffer a stroke in a 20-year time period. Also, running and swimming for at least three hours decreased the risk of a stroke by 26%.

Moreover, the ones that frequently exercise during their free time had a 20% less of a risk of an ischemic stroke, as well as 54% and 36% less chances for subarachnoid and intracerebral hemorrhage respectively.

In closing, persons who preferred to walk or use their bike to and from their workplace had 14% less chances of an ischemic stroke, while whoever combined two or three different types of exercise had slightly less chance of suffering a stroke, in relation to those who only partook in one type of exercise.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

[05] Of Its Next Space Shuttle Launch Space Missions Halted

By Vagelis Theodorou

The missions of space shuttles to the International Space Station have been once again halted. As NASA announced last Thursday, the next mission will not take place before March 2006, even if the initial plans foresaw a new space shuttle launch in coming November. The cause for the new postponement is the detachment of foam insulation from the main fuel tank of Discovery, which had caused the crash of Columbia on 2003. The aforementioned problem seems to worry the US Space Service, since it contributed to the grounding of space shuttle Atlantis, the launch of which had been programmed for November 2005. In the meantime, 11 days after the successful completion of its mission, Discovery headed back for Cape Canaveral. Its transport from Edwards Base in the California desert, where the space shuttle remained due to the strong rainfalls in the Cape, is taking place with a specially designed Boeing 747 and is expected to last two days, while its costs is around $1 million.

Detachment Troubles

The fleet of NASA space shuttles will remain grounded in order for a solution to be found to the problem that reappeared in the Discovery, which was the detachment of a foam substance.

A similar detachment caused the destruction of Columbia, on February 1, 2003, which cost the lives of its 7-member crew. The piece hit the space shuttle during launch and this was the cause of explosion during its reentrance in the atmosphere.

In the case of Discovery, the insulating material, which broke off the main fuel tank during its take off on July 26, and its repair took place during the space shuttles stay in the ISS by a crewmember. The piece broken off was much smaller and luckily enough it did not hit the shuttle.

NASA experts will fully investigate the problem, even if many admit that the issue should have been investigated after the crash of Columbia.

Two and a half years were needed after the Columbia crash and around $1 billion in order for the flight of the space shuttle to be repeated. As NASA experts estimate, the next mission will be made after March 4, 2006, and Discovery will once again arrive in the ISS, in the place of Atlantis that will be used in the next mission.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

Related Links:

NASA

[06] Due to the Stewardess' Indisposition Emergency Landing in Athens Airport

By Vagelis Theodorou

Sources: NET 105.8

A commotion was stirred on Saturday noon in the international airport Eleftherios Venizelos. A charter aircraft of Flight Line company with 90 passengers on board, en route from Mykonos to Milan, made an emergency landing due to the stewardess indisposition. As it emerged, the stewardess is facing a psychological problem, and if it continues the airplane will remain grounded in Eleftherios Venizelos. In such a case, the passengers and the crew will be taken to Sofitel Hotel until an air steward arrives from Italy.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

[07] Two Dead by Firefighter Airplane Crash Tragic Firefighter Crash in France

By Vagelis Theodorou

The fight with flames had a tragic end for two persons in Ardeche, in southeastern France. A firefighter Tracker aircraft crashed at 11:00 Greek local time, while the fire was in development, in an area of 1.5 hectares of chestnut trees and bushes. The alert of the French Authorities was immediate, while due to the bad weather conditions many hours were needed to locate the bodies of the pilots. According to a source of the Fire Brigade, the second passenger of the aircraft was found suffering from heart failure, but the doctors have not yet confirmed the cause of death. "I voice my solidarity to the pilots of Civil Protection which once again were stricken by a terrible accident," stated relevant French Minister Christian Estrosi.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

[08] For January 25 Abbas Announced Elections

By Mary Lou Tzempelikou

Sources: ANA, BBC

A date for the Parliamentary elections in Palestine was finally set, after their indefinite postponement last June. As announced on Saturday by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the elections will take place on January 25. Moreover, Abbas called on Israel to prove it wishes for peace in the area following the withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, which he described as "a first stage," after the stop of settlements in the West Bank. It is noted that the evacuation of Jewish settlements had stopped on Saturday, a feast day for the Jews, and will be repeated on Sunday morning. In the meantime, the military wing of Hamas warned that it will answer back with violence if any given Israeli invasion in the Gaza Strip takes place after the evacuation of Jewish settlements. On Friday night, thousands of Palestinians celebrated the Israeli pullout with a rally organised by Fatah near Damascus.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

Related News:

Evacuation Continues in Gaza

[09] Water Polo: Full Steam for Gold

By Vasilis Kalpinos

The womens Greek national water polo team is ready to fight for the gold medal in the 2nd World League, which is taking place in Kirishi, Russia. The team of Koulis Iosifides crushed the Italian team with 15-6, and this is its third straight win in the 2nd Group. This earned it the qualification in tomorrows final, where it will play against the top team of the 1st group, Russia. The Russians after a suspenseful game defeated the US by 15-14 and will fight hard for the gold medal against the Greek national team. The final will take place in the home turf of Russian team at 17:30.

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

[10] Cow Behind Bars

By Vagelis Theodorou

It is a well-known fact that all humans are equal against the law. However, what happens with the case of animals? According to the Colombian Authorities, equality should exist in the animal kingdom. With the above notion a cow was found behind bars, as it caused a road accident! The mammal was taking a carefree stroll in the town of Giron when a woman motorcyclist hit it. Even if the driver did not suffer injuries, the Police arrested the cow and took it to jail charged with causing an accident and bodily harm. Even if the incident is unbelievable, the Colombian Authorities do not seem to be joking as a Police spokesperson stated "if it was a person who caused the accident, he or she would be behind bars, so why not a cow?"

Translated by Eirene Nisiriou

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