Investigation Summary
The accident originated from a mechanical failure that was compounded by crew error. During the climb from Athens, a 'PITCH FEEL' warning light illuminated, indicating a malfunction in the Arthur unit, which adjusts control column resistance based on airspeed. The crew failed to properly evaluate this failure, using inappropriate training checklists rather than operational ones. The Arthur unit remained stuck in the 'low-speed' (high sensitivity) position throughout the flight. During the descent at 332 knots, the pilot flying inadvertently overrode the autopilot by pushing on the control column. Because the Arthur unit was providing minimal resistance despite the high airspeed, the pilot's inputs were excessively large. This triggered a classic pilot-induced oscillation (PIO) sequence where the pilot's attempts to correct the pitch resulted in increasingly violent movements. The severity of the injuries was directly attributed to the fact that the 'fasten seat belt' sign was not illuminated and the passengers were standing or unbuckled during the descent.
Final Conclusions
The investigation by the Romanian Civil Aviation Inspectorate concluded the accident was caused by inadequate risk assessment of the PITCH FEEL malfunction, the crew's overriding of the autopilot, and inappropriate manual control inputs at high speed with a failed Arthur unit. A significant contributing factor to the fatalities was the failure of passengers to have seat belts fastened during the descent phase. The captain was later convicted of manslaughter in Greek courts, receiving a suspended sentence.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Pilot-in-command and pilot flying (Yiannis Androulakis).
Captain
Acting as Co-pilot/First Officer and pilot not flying (Grigoris Sinekoglou).
Systems & Failure Modes
Arthur Unit
An artificial feel system that varies the resistance of the control column based on airspeed; it failed in the 'low-speed' position, making the controls overly sensitive at high speeds.
Autopilot
The system disengaged when the pilot flying exerted enough force on the control column to override the pitch channel.
Pitch Feel Warning System
A cockpit alert that notified the crew of a malfunction in the artificial feel system during the initial climb.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was named 'King Minos' and was owned by the Greek Air Force.
- 02Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Giannos Kranidiotis was among the seven fatalities.
- 03The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) was found to be unserviceable and had not recorded any data from the flight.
- 04The Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) recorded vertical accelerations that exceeded the aircraft's maneuvering load factor.
- 05The 'PITCH FEEL' light remained on for the duration of the cruise and descent.
- 06One passenger died from injuries three days after the accident.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Seat Belt Policy
The investigation emphasized the necessity of keeping seat belts fastened during all phases of flight when passengers are not required to be moving, particularly during descent.
Checklist Discipline
Recommendations were made regarding the strict adherence to official operational checklists rather than using training materials during active flight malfunctions.
Location
ACCIDENT SITE · Coordinates taken from the official investigation report.