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Helicopter seen spinning out of control before crash that killed Brit newlyweds in Greece

The British couple were travelling to the Greek Island of Sifnos for their honeymoon when the Bell 206 helicopter crashed, killing all three on board.

A helicopter carrying two British newlyweds was filmed spinning uncontrollably through the sky moments before crashing on a Greek holiday island and killing everyone on board.

CCTV captures the moments before the Bell 206 came down in Sifnos at around 6.15pm local time on August 17, with black smoke later seen rising from the crash site.

The British couple were Alex Cromie and Marie Ebert, in their early 30s and living in London. They were on honeymoon and had hired the private helicopter to travel to the island.

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Alexander Cromie and Marie Ebert were killed in a helicopter crash in Greece. (Image: Facebook)

Greek pilot, Giorgos Raikos, 55, was also killed and was described in local reports as an experienced former Greek Air Force officer who had flown military Chinook helicopters.

Security camera footage from a nearby home shows the helicopter appearing to struggle for control as its tail circles through the air.

The aircraft then drops rapidly and disappears behind a building, with pieces of the helicopter seen being thrown into the air on impact.

Investigators are now trying to establish what happened during the aircraft's final moments before it came down close to the helipad where it had been due to land.

[The Bell 206 helicopter was filmed moments before it crashed on the Greek island of Sifnos.]

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The Bell 206 helicopter was filmed moments before it crashed on the Greek island of Sifnos.(Image: Daily Mirror)

The helicopter had travelled from the Markopoulo area in Attica and was approaching Sifnos when the pilot reportedly informed the relevant service that he was preparing to land. According to Greek newspaper Ta Nea, communications then suddenly stopped.

All three people on board were confirmed dead. No homes were struck by the helicopter and there were understood to have been no other casualties.

Asset management firm Blackstone said it was shocked by the deaths of its beloved employee Alex and his wife Marie.

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Alexander Cromie and Marie Ebert, believed to have been in their early 30s, were travelling in a private air taxi before it reportedly suffered a mechanical failure and smashed into the ground near a heliport in Sifnos last night.(Image: Facebook)

In a statement issued, a spokesperson for Blackstone, where Mr Cromie worked as a vice president in private wealth solutions, said: We are shocked by the tragic passing of three people including our colleague Alex Cromie and his wife Marie Ebert, who were celebrating their honeymoon.

Alex was beloved by everyone who knew and worked with him at Blackstone, and our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones.

Residents living close to the helipad reported hearing an unusual noise from the aircraft shortly before the crash.

Manolis Fountoulakis, deputy mayor of Sifnos, told ERTnews: According to the testimonies of the residents of the area, they heard the noise of the helicopter, it was a strange noise.

It probably had a mechanical failure in the air. This is because the propeller was doing something strange it was making a very loud noise.

[The Bell 206 helicopter was filmed moments before it crashed on the Greek island of Sifnos.]

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The Bell 206 helicopter was filmed moments before it crashed on the Greek island of Sifnos.

The cause of the crash has not yet been established.

Fountoulakis said residents had described hearing a noise like military aircraft before the helicopter came down. Authorities are reconstructing the helicopter's flight path and analysing footage of the crash as part of their investigation.

Local media reported there was little or no wind at the time, with conditions said to have been favourable for flying.

The investigation is being led by the National Organization for the Investigation of Air and Railway Accidents and Transport Safety.

Sifnos mayor Maria Nadali said: 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.

Sifnos is part of Greece's Cyclades island group and is a popular summer holiday destination.

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