"We are all frozen."

ANN REALTIME NEWS UPDATE 1730 EDT  All aboard the aircraft perished during the crash, if not before. No survivors have been found. The "black boxes" have been recovered.

"When a pilot has no communication with the control tower, the procedure dictates that other planes must accompany and help the plane land. Unfortunately, it appeared that the pilot was already dead as was, possibly, everyone else on the plane,'' said Cyprus Transport Minister Haris Thrasou in media reports.

Government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos reportedly said that when the F-16s intercepted the plane, fighter pilots could see the co-pilot slumped over his seat. The captain was not seen in the cockpit, and oxygen masks were dangling inside the cabin. He said the pilots also saw two people possibly trying to take control of the plane; it was unclear if they were crew members or passengers.

 Helios Airways Boeing 737 crashed Sunday near the coastal town of Grammatikos, Greece, with 116 passengers and 6 crew onboard. The flight was heading from Larnaca, Cyprus to Athens International Airport when it crashed approximately 25 miles north of Athens. There are reports that those onboard were unconscious when the plane went down.

Rescue personnel and residents of Grammatikos are searching through the wreckage for survivors.

Unconfirmed reports state that the pilots were not in contact with the Athens control tower, and the pilots did not respond to repeated radio calls. The Greek air force had scrambled two F-16 fighters to intercept the airliner, and there are reports that the air force pilots could see no sign of movement from the cockpit of the airliner.

The head of Greece's aviation safety department, Akrivos Tsolakis, stated that there may have been a loss of cabin pressure. "There apparently was a lack of oxygen which is usually the case when the cabin is depressurized," he said.

A passenger on the airplane sent a text message to his cousin's mobile phone minutes before the crash.

"He told me the pilots were unconscious," said Sotiris Voutas. "He said: 'My cousin I bid you farewell, we are all frozen." 

Helios Airways was founded in 1999. It operates a small fleet of 737s between Cyprus and London, as well as several other European destinations. It is Cyprus' first independent airline.

Official Statement By Helios Airways

Helios flight ZU522 from Larnaca to Athens and Prague, carrying 115 passengers and 6 crew members, has crashed north of Athens at approximately 12:20 pm.

Fire rescue services are at the scene.

It is unclear as to why the aircraft has crashed at this stage. There are not reports of survivors.

Our thoughts are with the families of those on board at this difficult time.

We are doing everything we can to keep them informed and updated about this tragic accident.

FMI: www.flyhelios.com