Pilot Heroically Breaks Rules to Save Boeing 747 & Athens from Disaster! 

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I was on this flight almost 44 years ago. I was 15 years old traveling by myself to New York after spending most of the summer with relatives in Greece. I still have my passport and plane tickets from this flight if you need to verify what I'm saying. Your video is fascinating and really tells most of the story. From a passenger's perspective, I was seated next to the left wing, at a section of 3 seats next to the window. Since I was seated across and parallel to the right wing, I was able to see the flame out and heavy black smoke from engine 3 as the plane shook when it happened. I can tell you with certainly that most passengers knew immediately something was wrong as we could clearly see we were flying just over the roof tops of buildings and not gaining altitude. There were 3 Greek priests seated a few rows behind me, and they began praying out load resulting in lots of crying and some screaming among the passengers. Some of us remained calm but very worried. I could see in the eyes of the flight attendants that they knew we were in serious trouble. I was seated with and next to a newly wedded couple who had shared with me before takeoff, as we engaged in cordial conversation, that they had just found out they were having a baby. As we experienced this terrible predicament, we actually held arms because we were so afraid. Your entire depiction of what was happening outside the plane regarding our altitude, speed, and landmarks is very accurate, and I clearly remember the hills we could see ahead of us. I also remember the gradual left turn away from the hills and over the sea where we were also then able to see fuel being ejected from the tip of the wing we were sitting next to. We, of course, made it back to the airport. When we exited the plane, which in those days in Athens was by walking down the steps and not through the tube, I remember seeing a number of, I assume, members of the press taking pictures while others shook the hand of the the flight deck crew. We were taken back to the terminal where we waited some hours as another 747, which was being prepped for a flight to London, was then given to us to fly to New York later that day. In other conversations with personnel at the terminal, we were told the highway next to the airport was cleared in case we had to emergency land there. When I finally arrived in New York, my Dad had been waiting for me at the airport, and he had been waiting for hours past the time we were supposed to arrive. The airport arrival screen in New York said only that the flight was delayed...no other information. He tried to find out more but to no avail. I told him what had happened, and he didn't believe me. A few days later, he apologized to me after reading the story and seeing photographs in the Greek newspaper. Watching your video gave me chills all these years later as this was an experience I never forgot, but I kind of repressed all along. Should you ever need to reach out to me for more information, from the passenger perspective, please feel free to do so. Thank you for the great video.

The speed at which pilots go from “normal day at work” to “I am probably going to die, but I will do everything in my power to save as many lives as possible” is insane

"all of us who were onboard that aircraft smuggled life (cheated death). But even when at the worst situation there can be a tiny glimpse of hope which at the end may save the day". Those are the words of Captain Migadis in the one and only tv interview he ever gave. An exceptional professional.

This pilot is insane levels of boss. The skill, the composure, the resolve, and this time with what he was provided in equipment and crew ability, the payoff. What a legend.

The Ellinikon airport closed down in 2001 and I remember my grandpa taking me to the street just outside where the Olympic jets were parked and abandoned and telling me this story. Mr. Migadis is considered a local folk hero by older Greeks.

I'm from Athens and had vaguely heard of this story. Asked my dad about it today - he was a young man at the time: "Dad, have you heard about this crazy story with the plane that flew too low in 1978"? And my dad was like "Not only have I heard of it - I saw this flight"! He was at work and remembers seeing the plane flying super low and heading towards Mount Egaleo. He and his colleagues were all glued to the windows and watching - they were sure it was going to crash on the mountain.

When the representatives of Boeing saw the flight records, they said: "This plane can't exist, it has crashed ". Then captain Migadis replied: "Here it is, come see it, it's yours ". Some people suggest that the new airport of Athens should have been named Sifis Migadis, instead of Eleftherios Venizelos. I totally agree with that, this man is a legend, a national hero. He saved hundreds of lives, he tricked the reaper.

In 1978 this pilot invited me into his cockpit on a flight from Melbourne to London . Being a learner flying Cessna 152 it was an awesome experience I spent hours in there and his knowledge was remarkable he gave me priceless flying information A true gentleman and amazing pilot

Usually a lot of things have to go wrong at the same time for a plane to crash. This time a lot of things went just right for it to fly, what a refreshing experience. Props to the crew for their skill and professionality.

I loved it when you said, "This is a heavy, fully loaded flight. It is full of American tourists. So it is very very heavy." I choaked with laughter 😂

Captain Migadis was a WWII veteran - he had taken part in the Battle of Crete and then in the Cretan resistance, serving with the SOE. In 1943 he escaped to Egypt where he joined the allied forces and learned how to fly in an RAF training centre in (what was then) Rhodesia. Other Olympic captains, such as Pavlos Ioannidis, had a very similar background.

plane crashes are tragic, but when a plane is saved in such a spectacular way, there's something extra special about these stories that so incredible to learn about.

My uncle was a 747 pilot at Olympic Airlines back then. Ioannis Migadis was a living legend among Olympic pilots. As you said Migadis was not trying to save the plane. Rather he was trying to reach the mountain est of the center of Athens to crash in a less populated area. You 3D renconstitution is nice but there are no tiled roofs in Athens but rather flat terraces. Migadis said that the flat terraces helped create ground effect. Also some think that the hot air rising from the streets created a lifting current adding a slightly ascending force that helped the plane to continue flying despite being quite under the stall speed. Some other say Zeus intervened directly to avoid the crash of a plane named after him. I am of the latter .⚡

That Captain is a legend. over 400 people still walk the earth today because of him, more if you count any kids they had after.

Hats off to the captain, co-pilot, and flight engineer (no one really knows if he accidentally shut down the water/glycol system or not). If the captain didn't react calmly and pulled the lever like most inexperienced pilots do today out of fear, we would have heard about one of the terrible accidents of all time....Great job captain and crew, wherever you are now....

I was watching a program where they were talking about how fighter pilots learn to fly by feeling the airplane, because you may not be able to look at your instruments while in a dogfight. This captain was obviously flying based on feel - listening to what the airplane was telling him in every movement, and making micro adjustments in realtime based on that feel. Impressive.

Back then most pilots of Olympic were former fighter pilots. They were experienced in making split-second decisions. Like Sully, Migadis was also former Air Force pilot.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - you are a *gifted* storyteller, and these videos are absolutely fascinating. You include just the right amount of technical explanation (e.g. the water/glycol system). I enjoy the feeling that we're just sitting in my living room or by a fireplace in a pub somewhere while you're telling me this story - me, just me, not many thousands of RU-vid viewers. Well done sir, and thank you!

If there was a Pantheon for the most courageous and gifted pilots who saved the lives of all their passengers, the list would include: Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, Captain Carlos Dárdano, Captain Richard Champion de Crespigny, Captain He Chao and Captain Sifis Migadis.

Thats amazing... the pilots were sure they were going to crash and die, but they still tried everything possible to avoid any harm to the people in town. So glad they made it out alive...

Thank you so much Petter for honouring Captain Sifis Migadis, Greece's "Sully" & the miracle of OA411. Migadis's 2 daughters were also told about their father from a cousin of theirs who saw the plane barely fly above the light towers of Panaionios football stadium in Athens as many had presumed the aircraft would surely crash. Had the aircraft crashed into the densely populated area of Athens, the combined death toll from both those on-board & those likely killed on the ground would've likely exceeded that of the Tenerife crash between the KLM & PanAm Boeing 747s. Being 43c, many residents would've been staying inside their apartment buildings likely having a siesta with the aircon on. Migadis actually kept a copy of the flight data recorder data because as he had exclaimed in an interview on Greek TV that he felt people would have thought he was totally insane that the plane was even airborne at those speeds & Boeing had the same view. Migadis proudly showed the FDR results to the interviewer. A young pilot rushed into the office of Olympic Airways Aviation Safety Director, Olympic airways capt. Akrivos Tsolakis, urging him: "Sir, come and see an airliner that is going to fall into the sea!". The very same Akrivos Tsolakis would become lead accident investigator on Helios 522. It's true that Migadis didn't actually get a well deserved day off but had piloted the ATH - JFK Boeing 747 PAX flight approx 1800p that same day, but Sifis did achieve legendary status both amongst Olympic Airways pilots and all of Greece. It's true that when other 747-200 pilots were presented this exact scenario in the 747 simulator that most ended up crashing. Despite this, at the time Migadis was criticised by some for breaking a stack of rules but the irony is had Migadis followed the rules & not his own ingenuity in such an unusual, non-textbook situation the flight would've ended up far different. Migadis also praised first officer Fikardos & had remarked at the time that had it been anyone else they would've not retracted te gear as per Olympic & 747 SOP instead of following Migadis orders. Finally, huge kudos for having the balls to pronounce such uncommon Greek words such as lekanopaidio (Λεκανοπέδιο). Hat's off to you, captain & happy new year to you, all your family & all the very best in 2022 & beyond

It was about time for this wonderful aviation story to become known and for Cpt. Migadis to get the recognition he deserves ✈

Don’t know why but the part where his daughters went to the airport made me tear up. The thought of the positive emotions of relief when they found out the plane landed safely must have been overwhelming

I remember my father telling me stories about this flight , he wasn’t at the flight but he saw the airplane from his house back in the day which was near the centre of Athens … how Boeing can possibly reject such an event witnessed by thousands !? Hell of a pilot , thankfully the weather helped him !

My father was captain of Olympic airways from 1968-1986. John Stylianakis Thank you for depicting Athens and Olympic airways, and giving the story such a beautiful visual….nice memories.

Obvious massive props to the pilots, but we shouldn’t forget the fact that the cabin crew was *so good at staying calm that people were taking pictures like tourists in a potentially deathly situation* Like damn, that’s impressive

I choked up when you related that, although the crew knew that "...we are screwed...", the flight crew's initial impulse was to minimize on ground loss of life. Freaking heroes.

What's impressed me is the fact that Boeing the literal company to manufacture this aircraft couldnt replicate what this guys did in real life. Like props to thier legendary task

The skill of these pilots blows my mind. How well he understood his aircraft and the split second precision of those slight adjustments that made the difference between life and death is just amazing!! xxx

Goosebumps at19:55 I actually started tearing up the moment Peter mentions how captain Migos’ daughters were waiting for him. As a pilot about to graduate, I found this to be a fascinating miracle story

Very happy to watch your video, it’s the most accurate version I’ve watched today! First Officer Kostas Fikardos was school mate of my uncle, my dad’s brother. As such, I met him several times at my uncle’s over barbeques, etc. Fikardos had received his training during WWII with a lengthy stint in South Africa and he was telling us some funny stories from his time there. In the flight was his older daughter, Corina, travelling to NY with her dad. I met Fikardos a couple of years after that eventful flight, again over BBQ at my uncle’s and he was very humble, it must have been a traumatic experience and generally was not keen to talk about it. However, he did mention the simulation of the flight at Boeing which none of the pilots that attempted it managed to save, they all crashed it! I remember this distinctly! Congratulations for this excellent story!

Extreme airmanship and a modicum of luck made this a flight to remember. Great analysis, Petter...as always.

In the Greek TV documentary about this, it was also suggested that the hot stream of air moving up from the city (due to the extreme temperature) provided more lift for the airplane and kept it in the air. This might have also been the reason the simulation always failed but the actual flight kept going. Anyway this is an excellent presentation of the events. Thanks a lot for this!

I am a Quality Control/Quality Assurance Engineering inspector in the oil and gas industry, and part of my job is to provide on-site training to company new hires. I have started using your videos to drive home to my trainees the importance of following proper procedures and standards, and to highlight how critical it is to communicate anything that might be incorrect or in violation of those procedures. These videos reinforce the fact that being "by the book" is a good thing, because the book was written for a reason!!

I think the reason they couldn't climb was the weight of the massive iron balls of the captain to begin with.

What an exceptional Captain - Cool, calm, and collected doing a great job under terrifying circumstances. He saved 400 lives.

First thought when Peter said "this was a fully loaded flight": how bad can it be? What could possibly be too heavy for a 747? "It was loaded with American tourists" Uh-oh.

Migadis flew another airliner to New York that same evening! A true hero! What an amazing captain and also that Boeing tried to replicate the same outcome in the simulator but they failed every time makes this a true miracle.

What an beautifully done video, thank you! The pilot and co-pilot were both friends of my uncles who both served in the Hellenic Air Force in the 1950's-80's.

This pilot is a true master and a hero He was able to work out a plan, give out instructions, and manouver the plane while having the pressure of your plane probably crashing and not only killing you, the crew, and the passengers, but also causing death and damages in Athens? Damn that's cold blooded

i was waiting for a new episode and since i am greek im double happy with this one. i just wanted to tell you a big THANK YOU for all your vids, i used to be so afraid about flying, because i was experiencing so many unknown things on an aircraft and that made me so nervous but after watching so many vids of yours and kelsey's, i feel like the next time i get in an aircraft it will be a much nicer experience for me. i even thought about becoming a pilot but im kinda old for that....anyway , thank you so much!!!

At first I was a bit like “meh just an engine failure nothing special, wonder why he's covering this", but WOW that was way more interesting than I was expecting 😂 Excellent work Petter!

OH WOW WHAT A STORY! That was a phenomenal feat of flying! That story should be told more what a story! The three in the cockpit deserve a LOT of credit and so do the flight attendants who must have been certain they were about to die horribly and never showed it as well!

Today is the exact anniversay of this astonishing story. Incredible airmanship! I always like those episodes where everyone survives - very cheering in these dark times.

Boeing: "No plane can fly that low and not crash". Captn. Migadis: "Hold my beer" This was an amazing episode! Had me on the edge of my chair. Well done, Petter!

As a college instructor, I have to tell you how much I admire your willingness to be right up front about the difference in your sources, that they are primary but not your usual report sources.

First Officer: "Pan's Hill, Captain, is this the hill to die on?" Captain: "Not today."

I remember that when 747's were relatively new, Northwest Airlines had a special training program for pilots to learn how to handle just such a low-speed, low altitude situation as described in this episode. I don't know if the impetus for that program was this event, but it certainly could have been.

Thank you Petter for one of the most riveting accounts ever given. I’m a former Purser on 747-400s and 777s and 767-400s and it’s also very gratifying when a cabin crew’s professionalism is mentioned. On behalf of us past and those present, BRAVO!

In my initial training I was told to fly as smoothly as possible,keeping in mind cabin crew walking around with pots of hot coffee. However,when I got online at the airline i was lucky enough to fly with a Captain who had a similar experience to this in a 737. He was known for demanding extremely smooth handling and told me it was because it was that which saved the aircraft. The final report attributed the successful outcome to his delicate handling of the aircraft. I've flown with many rough handlers over the years and it's detrimental in a situation like this.

Ground effect makes a huge difference. I came across a case like that in much smaller. A studend pilot was flying with a glider (model ka-8) at a small airfield (only for gilders) and misjudged the updrafts. He ended up with a patch of forrest between him and the airfield with far to little to make it back and in an attack of goal fixation he still tried to make it instead of safly landing on a field next to the airfield. He somehow managed to make it home without a scratch. In the review afterwards we could see that he had only a couple of meters (below 15 ft) between him and the top of the trees and he managed a glide ratio of 1 to 60 (meaning for every 1 ft lost in elevation he traveled 60 ft). This plane has a optimal glide ratio of 1 to 27 and the brst gliders in the world only manage 1 to 56 to my knowledge and he beat them.

Captain Migadis and his entire crew......a standing ovation 👏👏👏👏👏👏. I actually stood up to complete this presentation video! A Captain of steel yet cool calm and had all his neurons firing in the correct direction. You should post an interview with THIS HERO !

I stayed in Athens 8 years .. Indeed there is an extra micro clima within Lekanopedio . The Pilot really just change an airplane and continue the flight . His decisions were the critical point of survival . Still remains a miracle

Gosh imagine being one of the daughters at the airport, being so relieved and proud of their father for getting everyone back safely.

Boeing should have given a medal to the captain for his outstanding performance as well as his helpers. But of course such an action would be too below them. Bravo to the captain and engineers and other pilot. in no other Boeing such a heroic action and quick clever decision has ever been made. Thank you for your story....stay safe and God bless. I do believe all the prayers did help!

Nothing like blowing all the shingles and roofing tiles off of the houses! To hear a 747 engines that close to your house, the homes shaking from the thrust and air displacement of the airplane, the roar as it moved by. Incredible feat by the pilots and crew. Simply amazing to think about!

Former flight attendant on the L-1011, DC-10, and 727-100 in the late 1980's during college. Finally got my PPL my own airplane 10 years ago after being an aviation and aircraft geek my whole life. I looooooove these MentourPilot videos. The more technical, the better. Keep up the great work!

What a cool headed captain and an observant FO for realizing his mistake and correcting it in time!

We know how cool pilots are. But the underrated part of this whole thing is the flight attendants who keep the cool

Wow. That's exactly the kind of pilot I'd want running the show on a flight I was on. He and the entire crew kept their cool and because they didn't panic they ended up taking the one series of steps that would save everyone on board and everyone on the ground - against the longest possible b odds. Thank you for this story. I would have been interested in hearing more from the captain - if I understood, you interviewed him in your research for this. Even if it was just you talking about what he told you (for example, if he did not want to appear on camera). It takes a very special person to not panic and to maintain a focus throughout this event. I understand that part of it comes from good training, well rehearsed observational awareness, flawless teamwork, years of experience, a good working environment, and a thorough understanding of the air frame. Even allowing for all that, it still takes a very special person. I really like the stories of exceptional skills and tight teamwork by pilots, navigators, and cabin crew. Another amazing example of this was United 232. In that event, not everyone was saved but far more than would have survived if not for the clear thinking of pilot (the ones frying the aircraft plus the passenger pilot who came up and assisted. Also, one question. I had thought I understood that for commercial jet aircraft, there’s 8was a "margin of safety" built in so that a single engine failure would not be catastrophic. It sounds to me though that in this case, due to weight of the aircraft, density altitude at Athens that day, and the possible failure of a water/glycol engine cooling pump - that there was no margin that allowed for a single engine failure from the point of rotation and initial climb out. Please correct me if I am wrong - I am not a pilot - and so I'm not suggesting anything was done wrong - but it seems like they configured the aircraft!( i.e. weights, fuels and density altitude at time of takeoff) so that a single engine failure during takeoff would not be survivable. Comments - either from you or the other current/former commercial pilots who understand this far better than I do??

Imagine what was going through the minds of the crew (flight attendants included) when you've already resigned yourself to die and are just trying to do it in a less populated area, to shortly afterwards find themselves flying again then not too long after safely back on the ground. What a surreal day that would've been.

Leaving the Landing gear down might have been a fatal decision . I was yelling at the Laptop when he cleared the Hill . Laughed out loud when it was by 9 feet . Left speechless when he flew past the tall building . And relieved when he got to 170 knots and was dumping fuel . Perfecto ,Captain Migadis

I am from Greece and really love this story. Nice to see that a foreign RU-vid channel made a video with Sifis Migadis. Unfortunately in Greece this story is not so well known as is an old story and just a few remember this incident. By the way you did an amazing job mate, you reported every single detail and i can confirm everything you said is true. Congrats 👏

Wow. My cousin is a retired pilot, having flown various commercial aircraft, including 757/767. He shared some harrowing tales of how he and his copilots handled various challenges over the years. FWIW, his first flight when promoted from flight engineer, then copilot, then finally to pilot, was hijacked to Cuba (he flew mostly the Montreal/Miami route.) Outstanding video!

i have watched mayday and air crash investigations. both cover the same crashes. your videos go into more detail, give more information, and deliver it more succinctly than either of these multi million dollar programs. i find myself learning things that were fully omitted from these two programs who proport themselves to be 'documentary style' investigations. your videos are truly top notch!

I’m a recent subscriber - I have next to no knowledge about aviation, I’ve literally flown once in my life before, but I find your videos truly fascinating! Your excellent breakdowns of situations and explanations of aviation theory and physics make your content compelling, even for a complete noob like myself. I’ve been binging your content for the last few weeks now. Keep up the amazing content!

Another excellent presentation! I was on the edge of my seat! That was in insanely close call. I dont think you could get closer to crashing without actually crashing. Massive respect to the flight crew.

What I really appreciate about these videos is the analysis, even handed, of what went wrong and what went right without judging the crew, the airline or the manufacturers, contrasted with 'disaster' shows on TV who so sensationalize everything for the dramatic effect. As an aviation enthusiast it's great to understand how even tragedies have helped to improve airline safety. This particular event also goes to show that, even when the outcome seems inevitable, never stop trying until the outcome is complete. This goes for aviation, driving, sports, daily life. The outcome is only decided in two cases: When the event is complete, or when you stop trying.

This was a definite nailbiter. It's fascinating to learn about the reasons behind actions taken by pilots in emergencies. Good problem-solving is a crucial skill in pilots. And I wonder if it can really be taught or is just innate.

I was expecting this. When the old airport was still in operation one of my friends was living in a highrise in Paleo Faliro on the path of the runway. When I was invited over we could nearly see the pax inside. And the noise was amazing to us. Not in a bad way, as we were and are aviation addicted. What happened was just amazing and the crew was so brave and professional in correcting whatever failure might have occurred. I lived in Athens for ten years and guys I can tell you it's massively populated. What they did was spectacular. They brought back the aircraft safely and everyone survived. Good vid Captain 👍

That was some of the best 20 mins I have spent watching a video EVER! I was totally absorbed into the story which was told so expertly and with such flair that my captivation was 100%. Loved every second of it. Thank you so much! (Knowing precious little about jet engines, I always wondered why the B52's were so 'smokey' on take off - now I know). Excellent. 👍

This is my favorite story from these video series, its just unbelievable how these tiny (literally) circumstances kept this aircraft in the air ^^ Ive watched 5-6 times already and I'm gonna watch again and again xD

This is what you can call a skilled pilot, he knows his plane, can think way forward and has a really good knowledge of the geography around the area, to be fair if it was a pilot which was not familiar witg Athens it would've been a lot more challenging from what it was already, and yes, getting back on another Boeing to fly to his destination just shows how dedicated he is, genuine airforce quality...

I remember flyng in and out of Ellinikon in the 90s when I went to Greece for vacation, the new Venizelos airport is far more better, even if is quite distant from the city. This entire story is "very Greek" in all its parts and I say this in positive way. Kudos to Capt. Migadis Petter, your recostruction of this story is AMAZING! One very small detail: Athens buildings have no inclined roofs, but flat terraces, the buildings used in the simulation seems more Dutch than Greek 🙂

This is such a cool story. 160 knots... "ok folks take your pictures while you can!" This is such an amazing story. Just keep flying it and just maybe, she will keep flying. Simply amazing story.

A happy ending for a change. Kudos to the captain, first officer and flight engineer for a superb job of flying.

Masterful instincts and situational awareness by Captain Migadis, as well as a roller coaster of terrible luck to great luck. The entire scenario of a fully loaded 747 flying over a large densely populated city at rooftop level is like something out of a dream, and gives me goosebumps/chills. So glad it didn't end as a nightmare. Thanks for retelling this incredible story!

Peter thank you so much for bringing this story to light! Once again your video was perfect! For us Greeks Olympic Airways have a special place in our heart. It is said that as he was climbing down the stairs exiting the plane a colleague ask Migadis if he had understood what he had done... Migadis replayed "It's all part of the job". A few hours later he was flying another 747 200 to NY. He also said in his interview that he found him self scared at one point and he said to him self "what are you doing? If you die you die like a man!".

Somehow this video caused me so much emotions... Your story telling is really great. I have been watching the channel for a long time and I thruly enjoy the content you are producing. Thank you a lot for sharing the stories and events that made the aviation industry what it is.

Wow. Miracles never cease. Standing ovation for the crew.❤

While Everyone else is worried about the whole thing Captian Migadis and his crew are doing a sight seeing across the town of athens that most of the passangers had a really amazing time.....what an incredible story i have ever heard.....take a bow Capt Migadis and the crew for showing this wonderful example of Crew managment despite the situation they faced that day 👌

As a Greek guy who lives almost his entire life in foreign countries, I didnt know this story. Thanks for telling this. I have goosebumps.

I can't even begin to describe how much aviation and your videos fascinate me...i really do appreciate it man and the way u explain everything and the visuals...i don't know if u do it all by yourself..if u get help then thank whoever helps u out...but regardless it does nothing to diminish the hard work i know you put into every one of these videos..I really do appreciate it and I wish everyone explained complex things the way u do

I watch a a lot of videos on RU-vid but you have the best. Your voice your demeanor your explanations for people that wouldn’t understand otherwise. Thank you

The "Swiss cheese" theory compares the different factors that take place in an incident as cheese slices. In order for an accident to happen, the holes in these slices have to be aligned. That means that multiple errors should occur at the same time, and pass through the holes, otherwise it can be stopped by one factor (pilot, ATC, aircraft). In the OA411 case, it's exactly the opposite, as captain Migadis took a series of correct decisions and saved the flight against all odds. In a later interview he said "We are life smugglers. But there is always hope!"

There is a greek documentary about it. It mentions a lot of interesting things, many of which you have mentioned. I'd like to mention two things: 1) the human factor sometimes makes the difference over engines and 2) the flight attendant interviewed mentioned they really did board another plane and fly to the USA

Keep in mind that in some graphic vidoes the houses in Athens are presented as they are in Northen Europe. They were actually apartment complexes , pretty high ( probably up to 4 or 6 floors). You can imagine the terror of the people hanging their laundry the moment the plane flew through Athens

i watched another vid dealing with this but i love your vids because you put more detail into it and with your qualifications i can believe what is said, the one common thing i have noticed in many of these type of incidents is that the pilot was ex military and their training and experience is so helpful in staying calm under these problems.

Wow, hats off to Captain Migadis for keeping everyone safe and keeping the cool to manouvre the Boeing 747 across Athens in this way. Never heard of that incident but I really had to hold my breath throughout the story. But also hats off to the crew on board, who kept the passengers calm by staying calm. Must be tough, as they certainly expected to crash and likely die within the next few minutes.

You are one HECK of a storyteller! I enjoy these recaps more every time you release one, thank you for doing this! Keep good

I love stories of survaival like this where it defies all odds and the crew did a great job in the situation. Thank you for the video!

The level of skill and sheer bollocks that the flight crew had to get this resolution absolutely blows my mind. Pilots are a special breed of human!

I finally understood something thanks to your vid. I perfectly remember in April 1999 seeing an OA 747 taking off from Hellinikon, as we were coming to pick-up my grandparents from the airport. Not only did the aircraft make a hard turn to the left while taking off (I remember my mom finding it impressive), it also had very smokey engines (especially compared to today's planes), so much that I thought they were on fire. Now I know why :)

That Captain sorted it like a BAWSS!!! Full respect to him ✊🏾😏 Another great episode sir!

Your excellent work recounting this event is worthy of a special award ! One of your best yet !

Dear Petter, this must be one of the best videos you have made! Thank you. What an amazing flight! Wow! Yes, an amazing story and it just shows how much attention to detail must be applied. Most intrigued about the pilots forgetting the reverse flaps which makes perfect sense. Must have been stressed out! Glad all arrived safely! I like your videos vis-a-vis attention to detail and communication so vital. Thank you kindly for these videos! God bless you. Wondering if your son is going to become a pilot! You are most knowledgeable in this field! All the best.

Even guessing the outcome, I held my breath all the way through. Ever since two extremely bad flight experiences as a teenager (I won’t go into it), I can’t even enter an airport unless I’m heavily medicated, but these calm explanations and storytelling skill are helping me become less afraid. We’ll see how I do, the next time I have to fly! (I even got a Positive Attitude t-shirt 😄)

My partner is a cabin crew, and strangely your videos have helped me feel a bit calmer when he flies. Your production value and story telling skills are incredible! Thank you for taking the time to sift through reports and any resources you can find to create these amazing videos. This is my favourite aviation channel on YT by far.

Thank you for making a video on this! Having no final report, I hardly think I would have heard of this otherwise and it would have been a shame since this was so unbelievably lucky in the end.