The Tragic Flight of Helios Flight 522 – Case Study

Wreckage of Helios Flight 522

On August 14, 2005, Helios Airways Flight 522 carrying 115 passengers and 6 crews crashed into a mountain in Greece (AAIASB,2006). The flight was scheduled to depart from Larnaca Cyprus for Prague, Czech Republic. During the investigation, the Air Accident Investigation & Aviation Safety Board (AAIASB) found that the loss of cabin pressurization resulted in the depletion of oxygen which incapacitated the crew (AAIASB, 2006). The aircraft continued to fly on autopilot until it eventually ran out of fuel and crashed. All 121 passengers and crew perished during the accident.

Plasma Window – Science Fiction Turned Reality

Star trek enterprise shuttle bay

Have you ever watched star wars or star trek and wondered how they can have a shuttle bay with no doors to allow vehicles to enter and exit while at the same time ensuring air doesn’t escape.

Plasma windows use plasma that is confined by a magnetic field to create a boundary between a vacuum and the atmosphere.

The Pressure Vessels In The Sky

Have you ever felt cramped and claustrophobic in an aircraft? Have you ever wondered why the cabins never have enough headroom? The cross-section of an aircraft is normally circular to withstand pressure loads when the aircraft is pressurised and reduce drag. As such, the walkways are normally in the middle of the aircraft where you […]