Mechanical failure or pilot error is believed to be the cause of the fatal helicopter crash on the Aegean islet of Kinaros earlier this week.
The Agusta Bell 212 Hellenic Navy helicopter crashed into a hillside in the early hours, taking the lives of its three passengers.
Captain Anastasios Toulitsis (36), co-pilot Constantinos Pananas (34) and radar operator Eleftherios Evangelou (35) were on board, participating in the Astrapi (Lightning) 2/16 nighttime exercises.
“Today is a day of mourning for the Greek people, the nation and the country’s armed forces,” said Defence Minister Panos Kammenos, who was attending a NATO summit in Brussels.
“Greek officers, in peacetime, have entered the pantheon of heroes while doing their duty, while abiding by the oath they took when they entered the armed forces. They fell while keeping us all safe. We are devastated.”
A panel of experts was assembled to investigate the crash, as weather conditions between Leros and Amorgos, where the island is located, were rather mild to have contributed to the accident.
The site of the crash was not discovered until 7.00 am by the island’s inhabitants, after both Greek and Turkish forces took part in the search. Only Toulitsis’ body has not yet been recovered.
Meanwhile, Kinaros island, inhabited only by one Greek Australian family, is among the state assets the troika has suggested Greece sells in order to cover its debt.
People living on islets with fewer that 150 inhabitants would have to relocate – however, Mikes Katsotourchis, his wife Irene and their son George are determined to stay.
The couple returned to the tiny Dodecanese island from Australia back in 2000, as it has always been Irene Katsotourchis’ dream, and they were later joined by one of their children.
Revised: An earlier version of this story showed a photo and caption of a Super Puma Hellenic Navy helicopter.