Helios Airlines 737-300 pilots failed to notice warning signs=0AWednesday O= ctober 11, 2006 =0AGreece's Air Accident Investigation and Aviation Safety = Board said yesterday that the August 2005 Helios Airlines 737-300 crash was= caused primarily by the pilots' "nonrecognition" that the cabin pressuriza= tion mode selector was switched to "manual" and their subsequent misreading= of warning signs.=0AThe errors led to the flightcrew's incapacitation "due= to hypoxia" when the aircraft failed to pressurize on ascent. It flew for = more than 90 min. on autopilot before its fuel was exhausted and its engine= s flamed out. "The aircraft continued descending rapidly and impacted hilly= terrain...approximately 33 km. northwest of the Athens International Airpo= rt," said the Greek government report issued yesterday. All 121 passengers = and crew were killed (ATWOnline, Aug. 16, 2005).=0AThe Larnaca-Athens-Pragu= e flight was doomed by a variety of human errors, investigators concluded. = The pilots were at fault for not recognizing the cabin pressurization switc= h's incorrect setting before takeoff and "nonidentification" of warnings on= ce the plane was airborne. Maintenance workers were at fault for failing to= return the pressurization mode selector to the "auto" position after perfo= rming nonscheduled maintenance.=0AThe Cypriot airline, now called Ajet Airw= ays, was plagued by "deficiencies in...quality management and safety cultur= e." Regulators were guilty of "inadequate execution" of safety oversight. F= inally, Boeing was called to task for "ineffectiveness of measures taken by= the manufacturer in response to previous pressurization incidents in the p= articular type of aircraft."=0AThe report said the Cyprus government, Boein= g, the Greek Civil Aviation Authority and US FAA have implemented "improved= procedures" based on recommendations the Greek safety board issued during = the course of its investigation.=0Aby Aaron Karp=0AView the October 11, 200= 6 issue of Daily News =0AView this week's news =0AView the Daily News archi= ve =0AOther headlines:=0A =0AView our videos at: http://www.youtube.com/pro= file?user=3Dewrw4co=0A =0ARoger & Amanda La France