'Honeymoon' helicopter span out of control before crashing on Greek island, killing British newlyweds - moments after mysterious radio silence as pilot said he was about to land

By IMOGEN GARFINKEL - SENIOR FOREIGN NEWS REPORTER Published: 09:36, 18 August 2026 | Updated: 09:57, 18 August 2026 Footage shows how a helicopter carrying a British couple on their honeymoon span out of control seconds before crashing on a Greek island, killing the newlyweds. The private air taxi reportedly suffered a mechanical failure before smashing into the ground near a heliport in Sifnos last night, killing Alexander Cromie, Marie Ebert, and pilot Giorgos Raikos. CCTV footage shows the Bell 206 aircraft rotate erratically in the air as it quickly lost altitude, before descending to the ground.  After taking off from the wider area of ​​Markopoulo, the pilot informed the competent service that he was preparing to land, but his message was followed by a mysterious radio silence, reported Athens daily newspaper Ta Nea. Local residents near the helipad reported hearing an unusual noise from the helicopter before the tragic crash in the Tholos area. The newlyweds, believed to have been in their early 30s and living in London, were thought to be on their honeymoon at the time of the smash.  The pilot, 55, is said to have been a retired Greek Air Force officer. Footage shows how aircraft was immediately engulfed in a fireball, with smoke seen billowing into the sky from the blackened wreckage. Footage shows how a helicopter carrying a British couple on their honeymoon span out of control seconds before crashing on a Greek island, killing the newlyweds The private air taxi reportedly suffered a mechanical failure before smashing into the ground near a heliport in Sifnos last night, killing Alexander Cromie, Marie Ebert, and pilot Giorgos Raikos A newlywed British couple on their honeymoon have died in a fireball helicopter crash on a Greek island  The National Organisation for the Investigation of Air and Railway Accidents and Transport Safety has begun investigating the crash, according to the Greek Ministry of Transport.  The pilot is understood to have had extensive flying experience and had piloted military Chinook helicopters, according to local reports.  It is also believed that he was married and the father of three children. The couple had hired the private air taxi from Athens to Sifnos to start their honeymoon.  Tragically, the helicopter crashed to the ground as it approached a helipad at around 6pm local time.  Parts of the aircraft can be seen flying in the air following its impact.  The Greek fire service said the crash triggered an alarm heard across the Aegean island in the Cyclades, which is a popular tourist destination in summer.  A senior police official in Athens said: 'The crash came minutes before the scheduled 6.15pm landing. The helicopter was scheduled to leave 25 minutes later.' Emergency services rushed to the scene, but they were unable to save the passengers and pilot.  It was initially reported by local media that the helicopter had crashed seconds after taking off - but this was later corrected.  Manolis Fountoulakis, deputy mayor of Sifnos, told Greek news site NewsIT: 'There was nothing left, a shapeless mass, inside which the two charred bodies must have been. 'It experienced mechanical failure in the air, residents say it made a loud, strange noise, like military aircraft.' He added that two bodies were discovered inside the crash site while another had been found a few yards away.  Proto Thema reported emergency services were first alerted to the incident at around 6.17pm local time on Monday. Two firefighters and one fire engine raced to the site to tackle the raging flames, according to local newspapers. A rescue team also arrived on a high-speed boat operated by the Fire Brigade to attend the scene. The Foreign Office said it was in contact with local authorities and was seeking further information.  It added that it stood ready to provide consular support to those affected.  The aircraft smashed into the ground near a heliport around 6pm on Monday  It was reported that the couple had hired a private air taxi company on their honeymoon trip  The crash on the Greek island of Sifnos happened at around 6.15pm local time on Monday The island's mayor, Maria Nadali, told local media: 'This is a shocking event. We are shocked and are trying to manage, together with the right services, the consequences of this incident next to the helipad.' A witness told local media that the helicopter, said to be a Canadian Bell 206, began to spin around at high speed before it plunged to the ground. Local reports suggest that the pilot had only been hired by the company two months ago. No homes were hit and no other casualties were sustained, it is understood. Sifnos is a 73-sq km Greek island in the Cyclades island group, known for its sandy beaches and the striking white Chrysopigi Monastery.  It has a population of fewer than 1,000.  It comes after a Greek fire service liaison officer and a Danish pilot were killed in a mid-air helicopter crash while fighting wildfires in Greece earlier this month. Emergency services rushed to the scene after the aircraft collided in the Psatha region of Attica, 42 miles west of Athens, on August 2. One of the pilots of the downed helicopters, a British man, 'miraculously' survived the crash, as did another Greek co-ordinator. Andrew Hutchinson, 48, was battling wildfires onboard the helicopter in Greece when it collided with the rotors of another aircraft. Mr Hutchinson told his family that he and the fire co-ordinator with him managed to escape the aircraft before it exploded after crashing to the ground without power.