Airline denies charges over 2005 Greek crash

The Helios Airways plane crashed into a suburb on the outskirts of Athens on August 14, 2005 on its way to Prague from Larnaca, Cyprus.

The defendants, including the now defunct company Helios Airways and four of its management team, face 1,190 charges.

Investigators say a lack of oxygen knocked unconscious nearly everyone on board the Boeing 737-300 flight just minutes after take-off. The trial will resume on November 27.

The plane flew on autopilot for two hours before crashing into a hillside north of Athens, having run out of fuel.

Prosecutors have accused the defendants of allowing the plane to operate a flight that was unsafe.

Greek air force pilots scrambled to trail the plane when it lost contact. A man, later identified as a flight attendant with a trainee pilot's licence, was seen grappling with the controls while wearing an oxygen mask. It is believed he was the only one conscious on board.

Failure to notice that a gauge regulating oxygen was on the wrong setting has been blamed for the crash after an inquiry by Greek authorities in 2006. Deficiencies in the safety culture of the airline were also cited.

(Writing by Sarah Ktisti, Editing by Janet Lawrence)