Newly wed British couple on honeymoon and their pilot killed in helicopter crash in Greece

A British couple were killed alongside their pilot when their private helicopter crashed on the Greek island of Sifnos on Monday, just minutes before they were due to land at a heliport.

Alexander Cromie and Marie Ebert were on their honeymoon when the helicopter went down in the Tholos area of Sifnos. Greek police said the couple and the pilot, 55-year-old Giorgos Raikos, died in the crash.

The helicopter had flown from Markopoulo, a village southeast of Athens, to Sifnos and was scheduled to land at around 6:15pm local time, according to Greek media reports cited by the BBC. A senior police official said that the crash occurred shortly before the scheduled landing.

Local residents reported hearing what Sifnos deputy mayor Manolis Foundoulakis described as a “bizarre engine noise” shortly before the helicopter went down. The aircraft crashed just metres from the landing area, caught fire and was largely destroyed. Emergency crews later extinguished the flames and recovered the victims from the wreckage and nearby area.

The pilot was identified by Greek media as Giorgos Raikos, a former Hellenic Army veteran who later became a professional helicopter pilot. According to reports cited by People, Raikos had informed air traffic control that he was preparing to land shortly before the crash, after which radio contact was reportedly lost.

The cause of the crash remains unknown. Aviation authorities are examining the circumstances, including flight records, weather conditions and the possibility of mechanical failure. Reports said weather conditions were normal at the time, with no strong winds.

The UK Foreign Office said it was working with Greek authorities and was prepared to provide support to the couple's families. Greek authorities have opened an investigation into the crash.