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[Cyprus Times] "Clear" tests for the 22-year-old British man who was killed at the heliport in Spata. His friends testify

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The Accident Investigation and Flight Safety Committee is collecting statements in order to shed "light" on the causes of the tragedy

Fifty days after the accident at the Spata heliport, where 22-year-old British man, Jack Fenton, died, authorities are continuing to investigate to determine how the unfortunate young man died while descending from the helicopter.

The toxicology tests, to which the 22-year-old's body was subjected, revealed no significant findings.

Therefore, the scenario that on the fatal afternoon Jack was under the influence of alcohol and thus moved towards the propeller that decapitated him is not confirmed.

What is being investigated is what led the 22-year-old to return to the runway. The Accident and Flight Safety Investigation Board is collecting statements to shed light on the cause of the tragedy, while the testimonies of Jack's friends who were with him in the helicopter from Mykonos are considered crucial.

Initially, his three friends had "disappeared" and the Greek authorities were searching for them by telephone in Great Britain without receiving a reply.

However, with the intervention of the UK Air Accident Commission, the three witnesses will testify remotely about what they experienced on the afternoon of July 25.

"We expect, in the coming days, to meet online with the other passengers to testify as witnesses to the crash. We asked the UK Commission to help us as they were not cooperating with us. This is expected to happen in September," Greek protothema.gr Greek protothema.gr president Ioannis Kondylis, who also has in his hands the testimonies of the passengers who were in the waiting room when Jack fell dead, tells the Greek protothema.gr.



Furthermore, Mr Kondylis notes that the Commission is also examining whether all safety rules were observed during the disembarkation of the passengers from the helicopter.

For its part, the company operating the heliport in Spata maintains that the manual for boarding and disembarking from the helicopter had been approved by the Civil Aviation Authority.

"We have a procedure approved by the Civil Aviation Authority. The company's flight manual, which is given to passengers, provides for disembarkation with the helicopter's engines on. Even fueling is allowed in the manual. And it has official approval," says to protothema.gr Mr. Elias Sofianos, head of the helicopter company.

According to reports, the testimonies of the passengers, who were in the heliport waiting area before Jack's death, describe an "unexplained" and "unjustified" march of the 22-year-old towards the landing runway.

"The attendants brought him in front of us, next to the building where we were waiting for our flight. But he started running towards the helicopter for no reason and, in fact, some people were chasing him to knock him down and stop him," one of the eyewitnesses to the accident is reported to have testified to the commission.


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Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times

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