Harrowing photos of aftermath of helicopter crash that killed two British newlyweds in Greece revealed in new report

Harrowing photographs showing the aftermath of a helicopter crash that killed a newlywed British couple in Greece have been released by investigators probing the tragedy.Alexander Cromie, 31, and Marie Ebert, 30, were killed when the private air taxi they were on plunged to the ground on the island of Sifnos on August 17 this year.The couple, from London, along with pilot Giorgos Raikos, 55, suffered fatal injuries in the crash, which saw the Bell 206 helicopter rotate erratically before bursting into flames on hitting the ground near the island's heliport.In the aftermath heartbroken colleagues paid tribute to the 'beloved' couple, who had flown from the village of Markopoulo, near Athens, to the island for their honeymoon.A preliminary report by the Hellenic Air and Railway Safety Investigation Authority (HARSIA) today claimed the helicopter had 'suddenly lost control around its vertical axis' immediately before the crash.The report, which did not give the cause of the crash, said the helicopter ended up 'upside down' and was 'almost completely destroyed by fire' after hitting the ground.It added that the helicopter had already completed one flight earlier in the day, when it had flown from Athens International Airport to the islands of Syros, Folegandros and Santorini before heading back to Athens without apparent incident.Investigators released scene photos taken in the aftermath showing the charred remains of the helicopter and surrounding vegetation, as well as debris that was found up to 50m away from the main chassis. Scorched debris was all that was left of the Bell 206 helicopter carrying a newlywed British couple The vertical fin and the tail rotor cone were scorched in the fireball One of the two tail rotor blades snapped off and was found 4.4metres from the main crash site Alexander Cromie and Marie Ebert, both in their 30s from London, had hired the private air taxi to take them to the popular holiday island of Sifnos to start their honeymoon Mr Cromie was the vice president of private wealth solutions at asset manager Blackstone’s London office, while Ms Ebert worked for consultancy firm Bain & Company.Mr Raikos, a retired Greek Air Force officer, is understood to have had extensive flying experience and to have piloted military Chinook helicopters.The preliminary report found that the Bell 206 plunged into a wall between two uneven plateaus. The helicopter hit the ground upside down and was almost completely destroyed by the ensuing inferno. Its main rotor blades detached upon impact and were found 48m away from the crash site. The tail rotor blades were also broken in multiple places, with one found detached four metres from the wreckage. All the blades of the first stage of the axial compressor, part of the engine that draws in air and compresses it, were found shattered. Much of the Bell206 was completely scorched by the fire, including the outer casing of the engine's gearbox. The outer casing of the engine gearbox was burned Upon impact, part of the main rotor detached and was found 48 metres away from the main crash site near Sifnos helipad All the blades of the first stage of the axial compressor were broken at their roots The drive shaft in the tail rotor and the pitch control rod of the tail rotor blades were also broken in multiple placesIn a tribute sent to the Daily Mail following the crash, Blackstone 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.'Bain & Company told the Daily Mail: 'Marie Ebert was a much-loved and deeply respected member of our London team.'She was exceptional at her job, admired by everyone who worked with her, and had an extraordinary future ahead of her. We are devastated.'Our thoughts are with Marie's family, with her husband Alex's family, and with the friends and colleagues who are grieving them both.'We also extend our sympathies to the family of the pilot who lost his life as well.'Marie will be greatly missed by all of us at Bain, and we are doing everything we can to support her family and colleagues at this time.'The Greek fire service said the crash triggered an alarm heard across the island, a popular summer destination in the Cyclades.Emergency services rushed to the scene but were unable to save the passengers and pilot. Emergency services rushed to the scene as smoke billowed over the crash site on the island of SifnosManolis Fountoulakis, deputy mayor of Sifnos, told Greek news site NewsIT at the time: '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.HARSIA is thought to be investigating whether the crash was linked to a problem involving the Bell206 that occurred 11 weeks earlier. Restraining straps were put in place after the aircraft landed on Paros on June 1 to immobilise the tail blades so they would not move in high winds.But the pilot failed to ensure the straps had been removed before starting the engine again to fly passengers off the island, according to a report filed with Greece’s Civil Aviation Authority. HARSIA's investigation is still underway.