A helicopter carrying two British passengers and a pilot crashed on the island of Sifnos in Greece on Monday evening, resulting in three fatalities. The victims were identified as Marie Ebert and Alexander Cromie, both aged 30 and 31, who were celebrating their honeymoon following their recent marriage. The pilot, Giorgos Raikos, 53, was a former air force officer with extensive aviation experience.
Greek authorities initiated an investigation on Tuesday focusing on a potential mechanical failure as the likely cause of the accident. Eyewitnesses reported hearing unusual noises emanating from the privately chartered Bell 206 aircraft as it approached the helipad near the village of Exambela. The helicopter was observed spiraling out of control in the moments before impact, with the incident captured on available CCTV footage. The aircraft struck the ground and ignited in a fireball, with rescue personnel discovering all three bodies at the scene.
Cromie held the position of vice-president in private wealth solutions at the New York-based asset management company Blackstone, where he had been employed for four years. Ebert worked as a senior specialist at the management consulting firm Bain & Company. Both companies issued statements expressing shock at the incident and extending condolences to the families involved.
The Greek National Organisation for the Investigation of Air and Railway Accidents and Transport Safety assumed oversight of the official inquiry. By Tuesday afternoon, the civil aviation authority had reportedly issued a precautionary grounding order for all Bell 206 helicopters pending further assessment. Additional forensic examinations of the three victims were scheduled to establish definitive causes of death, with Greece’s ministry of infrastructure and transport coordinating investigative efforts alongside senior law enforcement officials.
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