The British couple who died in a helicopter crash on the island of Sifnos had travelled to Greece for their honeymoon. They have been named as Alexander Cromie and Marie Ebert, aged 31 and 30 respectively, who lived in London.

The couple had recently married and had chartered a private helicopter taxi to fly them from Markopoulo, near Athens, to Sifnos, where they were due to begin their honeymoon.

The helicopter crashed on Monday afternoon, shortly before it was scheduled to land at the island’s heliport. Also killed was the 53-year-old Greek pilot, Giorgos Raikos, who according to reports was married with three children.

Cromie worked at Blackstone’s London office, where he held the position of vice president in the private wealth solutions division.

In a statement to the Daily Mail, the company expressed its sadness at the deaths of Cromie and his wife. “We are devastated by the tragic deaths of three people, including our colleague Alex Cromie and his wife Marie Ebert, who were celebrating their honeymoon,” Blackstone said.

The company added that Cromie had been well liked by those who knew him and worked alongside him. “Alex was loved by everyone who knew him and worked with him at Blackstone, and our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones,” it said.

The honeymoon trip that ended in tragedy

The couple had chosen Sifnos for their honeymoon and had chartered the private helicopter to take them to the island.

According to reports, the helicopter had taken off from Markopoulo and was approaching Sifnos when the crash occurred. The pilot had informed the relevant authority that he was preparing to land, but this was followed by a sudden loss of radio contact.

Security cameras captured the Bell 206 spinning erratically in the air and rapidly losing altitude before hitting the ground. Other footage shows the helicopter immediately engulfed in flames, with thick smoke rising from the wreckage.

Residents near the heliport reported hearing an unusual noise from the helicopter shortly before it crashed. The accident occurred at around 6pm local time, just minutes before the aircraft’s scheduled landing time.

A senior police official in Athens said the helicopter had been due to land at 6:15pm and was scheduled to depart again around 25 minutes later. Emergency services rushed to the scene, but the two passengers and the pilot could not be saved.

Local media initially reported that the helicopter had crashed seconds after take-off, information that was later corrected.

Sifnos Deputy Mayor Manolis Fountoulakis described the scene that rescuers found after the crash. “Nothing was left, just a shapeless mass, inside which the two charred bodies must have been,” he said.

He also relayed accounts from local residents, who said the helicopter had developed a mechanical fault in the air and that a loud, strange noise had been heard, “like a military aircraft.” He added that two bodies were found in the wreckage, while the third was located a few metres away.

The experienced pilot and the investigation into the cause

Raikos, who also died in the crash, was a retired Hellenic Air Force officer and, according to local reports, had extensive flying experience. He had previously flown military Chinook helicopters and is reported to have been hired by the company operating the helicopter just two months before the crash.

Greece’s National Air and Rail Accident and Transport Safety Investigation Body has launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, according to the country’s transport ministry.

The Fire Service was notified of the incident at around 6:17pm, and two firefighters were dispatched to the scene in one vehicle to bring the blaze under control. A rescue team also travelled to Sifnos aboard a Fire Service speedboat.

Sifnos Mayor Maria Nadali described the crash as an event that had shocked the island. “This is a shocking event. We are in shock and are working, together with the relevant authorities, to manage the aftermath of this incident next to the heliport,” she told local media.