Chania: The two occupants of the single engine are dead – Who was the skipper – Greece

The fall of a two-seater ultralight turned into a tragedy aircraft in the sea area of ​​Maleme at Chania.

The aircraft was found at a depth of just a few meters and lifeguards who arrived at the scene found the two occupants tied inside the cabin and pulled them out unconscious.

The small plane of the Western Attica Aeroclub had taken off from Kopaida, bound for Maleme airport.

By the time they reached the area it was dark and in order to land, the pilot made a turn over Kolymbari, approaching the runway from the sea side, but suddenly came down close to the coast.

Lifeguards rushed to the scene and were informed by the mayor of Platanias Yannis Malandrakisa Coast Guard vessel, a Navy helicopter, two cruise ships sailing alongside and a fishing vessel.

Unfortunately, the rescuers who approached the small plane were not able to offer help, except to extricate the two bodies which were transported to the port of Kolymbari and from there to the Chania Hospital.

How the accident happened

When asked how the accident happened, Mr. Tzarakis it estimates that the operator became disoriented. “He made a turn to land and possibly became disoriented. He probably thought he was flying level but he was heading out to sea. Because I saw the crash, it was so intense that there’s no way they could have done anything.”

Who was the captain of the plane that crashed in Chania

The captain of the two-seater Savannah-type aircraft that died in the crash on Thursday off Maleme in Chania was the president of an aero club.

“His name was Theodoros Pantos, he was the president of the West Greece Aeroclub. He has no connection with the games, nor would he take part. Someone was waiting for him in Maleme from another aeroclub and he informed us that he was late,” said Panagiotis Tzarakis, president of the Chania aeroclub.

As he explains in zarpanews.gr, “while heading to Souda airport, he went to Maleme. The conditions for a night landing do not exist here, nor did his plane have such capabilities, and I don’t think he himself was trained for a night landing.”

What the lifeguard who found the pilot and passenger of the plane says

the lifeguard Paul Litinakis describes the dramatic hours and how the two victims of the accident were located.

“We found a float. We went and saw the aircraft. We didn’t have diving equipment with us, I did the extrication with my breaths. They were bound, they had made no attempt to get out. They had bruises. They probably lost consciousness or even lost their lives in the impact,” said the lifeguard.