Date: | Monday 22 July 1974 |
Time: | 02:00 |
Type: | Nord 2501D Noratlas |
Owner/operator: | Elleniki Polemikí Aeroporía |
Registration: | 52-133 |
MSN: | D035 |
Engine model: | Bristol Hercules 739 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 31 / Occupants: 32 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
Category: | UI |
Location: | 3 km from Nicosia Airport (NIC) -
Cyprus
|
Phase: | Approach |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | Chania-Soúda Airport (CHQ/LGSA) |
Destination airport: | Nicosia Airport (NIC/LCNC) |
Narrative:Turkey invaded Cyprus on 20 July 1974, after the Cypriot Government had been overthrown by sections of the Cypriot National Guard, led by its Greek officers five days earlier. On the evening of July 21, 1974 the Hellenic Air Force commenced a clandestine air-lift operation (Operation "Niki") using twenty Noratlas and ten C-47 Dakota aircraft in an effort to transport a battalion of commandos from Crete to Cyprus. However, the aircraft were erroneously engaged by Greek Cypriot anti-aircraft guns at Nicosia International Airport.
The first three aircraft managed to land. The aircraft with callsign "Niki 4" got hit by heavy AA fire, caught fire and crashed two miles before the runway.
Sources:
Operation "Niki" 1974 - a suicide mission to Cyprus / by Mihail Solanakis
Military operations during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus (Wikipedia) Location
Revision history:
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