The critical seconds before the crash of the Bell 206 on Sifnos yesterday are now under close scrutiny, as authorities attempt to determine what caused the helicopter to lose control and led to the tragedy that claimed the lives of three people.

Video footage documenting the fatal moment shows the helicopter beginning to rotate in mid-air shortly before the crash, directing experts’ attention toward the possibility of a loss of tail rotor function.

This possibility is considered one of the scenarios being investigated, with no official conclusion yet regarding the cause of the crash.

The moment the helicopter crashed:

WATCH: 3 killed as helicopter loses control and crashes on Sifnos (Σίφνος) Island, Greece pic.twitter.com/zTUoLmx4Ub

— Rapid Report (@RapidReport2025) August 17, 2026

The causes of the accident are expected to be investigated by the National Air and Rail Accident Investigation and Safety Board (EODASAAM), as announced yesterday by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport shortly after the tragedy.

Eyewitness accounts could prove crucial

At the same time, experts are assessing accounts from people who were in the Exambela area, near Sifnos heliport.

Eyewitnesses said that an unusual noise was heard before the crash, while there were also reports of smoke while the helicopter was still in the air.

“According to accounts from local residents, they heard the sound of the helicopter. It was a strange noise, and there may have been some kind of mechanical failure in the air. This is because the rotor was doing something strange… it was reportedly making a very loud noise,” Sifnos Deputy Mayor Manolis Fountoulakis told ERTnews yesterday, among other comments.

The three victims

As became known yesterday, the Bell 206 operated by Bellavia Aviation Services crashed just minutes before its scheduled landing at Sifnos heliport.

The flight had departed from Markopoulo in Attica, and the helicopter was carrying a newlywed British couple, Alexander Cromie and Marie Ebert, who had chosen the island as their honeymoon destination.

The pilot, Giorgos Raikos, an experienced aviator with previous service in the Army Aviation, also lost his life in the crash.

As mentioned above, the helicopter went down in the Exambela area, close to a residential area and a short distance from the heliport. After the crash, it caught fire and was almost completely destroyed.

Meanwhile, the small amount of remaining helicopter wreckage is expected to be examined as part of the ongoing investigation, in order to determine the circumstances surrounding the fatal crash.

The helicopter wreckage: