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Crash on Sifnos
A private helicopter crash on the Greek island of Sifnos killed British newlyweds Alexander Cromie and Marie Ebert and the pilot Giorgos Raikos, after the aircraft crashed in the Tholos area shortly after take-off and burst into flames.
“just minutes before the helicopter was scheduled to land at 6.15pm”
Police said the crash occurred just minutes before the helicopter was scheduled to land at 6.15pm, and CCTV footage showed the aircraft spinning out of control before plummeting to the ground and igniting a fireball.
The crash site triggered a fire in the Tholos part of Sifnos, and the fire service said the bodies of three people were recovered from the site.
The deputy mayor of Sifnos, Manolis Fountolakis, said: "It experienced mechanical failure in the air; residents say it made a loud, strange noise, like military aircraft."
Names, statements, inquiry
Blackstone, where Cromie worked as a vice president in private wealth, said it was "shocked" by the couple’s death and added: "Alex was beloved by everyone who knew and worked with him at Blackstone, and our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones."
A Foreign Office spokesperson said: "We are in contact with the local authorities and are urgently seeking further information. Our staff stand ready to provide consular support to those affected."
Greek police believe a mechanical fault may have caused the crash, with authorities focusing on the "strange noise" the aircraft is reported to have made before falling to the ground and exploding on impact.
The Guardian reported the privately chartered Bell 206 and said CCTV footage was being studied of the aircraft spiralling out of control as it approached the island’s helipad near the village of Exambela.
What happens next
Greece’s ministry of infrastructure and transport was coordinating the inquiry on Tuesday as senior law enforcement officials converged on Sifnos, while the cause of the crash remained unknown in early reporting.
“The focus of the inquiry is now on the helicopter and possible engine failure”
The Guardian said the focus of the inquiry was now on the helicopter and possible engine failure, describing what had happened as "nothing short of a tragedy."
The crash came as Sifnos, about 120 miles (195km) south-east of Athens, remained a popular tourist destination in the Cyclades, with private helicopter traffic used by tourists to reach the mainland.
The Telegraph said Greek aviation authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash and quoted a Foreign Office spokesman: "We are in contact with the local authorities and are urgently seeking further information."
