INVESTIGATIONS yesterday gathered pace into what caused a military plane to stray off course and crash into the village of Kolossi on Saturday.
The C-9 plane, piloted by flight lieutenant Feraios Koulloumos and co-pilot Fotis Constantinou, had left the Andreas Papandreou Airbase in Paphos early on Saturday morning to fly out to Ayios Iannis tis Malountas in the Nicosia district for a military drill. But under strange circumstances, the plane steered off course and instead flew out to the village of Kolossi, where it circled a few times before finally crashing into a field next to a house on the outskirts of the village. Both pilots were killed in the crash, but miraculously nobody on the ground was hurt.
Since Saturday, the Cypriot investigative committee for air accidents has been combing the area and gathering wreckage, along with two experts from the Greek Air Force.
Police have confirmed that the wreckage was scattered over a vast area and that so far more than 150 pieces of wreckage have been taken to Andreas Papandreou Airbase for further examination. The crash site has remained sealed off to the public.
The C-9 was one of two acquired by the National Guard back in 1989. It was taking part in the annual exercise, codenamed Demetra, being held this week. The plane is used for support of ground troops and reconnaissance missions.
Local residents said the plane scraped the bell tower of the Apostle Luke church and smashed into a field just outside the village’s 13th century crusader castle. On its way down, the plane grazed the side of a residence, which caught fire.
One local resident yesterday told the Cyprus Mail what he had seen moments before the crash.
“I noticed that the plane was circling the village a few times and from what I could hear it didn’t sound like it was having engine trouble. At one point I could hear the droning sound of the plane as it dived and then I heard a muffled sound of explosions, then complete silence. A few seconds later I heard people shouting in the village and I saw builders on top of buildings shouting ‘the plane has fallen’. I then saw thick black smoke and flames from where the plane had crashed.
“I didn’t actually see the plane crash but my neighbour did and he told me that he clearly saw the plane upside down when it came down. He said the plane was doing a barrel roll at low altitude and basically never came out of that roll.
“We were stunned when we first saw the plane flying so low because we thought it was a plane from the nearby base of Akrotiri and they never fly that low. Obviously we later found out it was a plane from the Cypriot National Guard.”
Reports in the media have suggest that Constantinou was attempting to impress his girlfriend in the village with some aerobatics, which went wrong when the plane clipped the bell tower.
“From what I am hearing from all the talk in the village, it does seem likely that this scenario is likely. However, his fianc?e is denying this.”
Meanwhile other residents of Kolossi have been telling reporters that it was only divine intervention that kept other people from being killed in the crash. Villagers added they would place a shrine at the scene where the plane made its final crash landing
The crash site was yesterday visited by the father of Fereos Kouloumou, Andreas, who told reporters that he would be expecting a full explanation from the authorities.
Meanwhile the Cyprus Co-Op bank (SPE) have released an announcement stating that they have opened up an account for people to donate for Kouloumou’s three orphaned children.
There was also sadness in the Limassol village of Zakaki, where relatives grieved the loss of the other officer in the plane, Fotis Constantinou. National Guard Chief Athanasios Nikolodemos visited Constantinou’s house, where he offered his condolences to the family of the victim. Constantinou was one of four children.
