Pilot’s silence, mystery noise & new footage… Unanswered questions in horror helicopter crash that killed Brit newlyweds

THE fateful final seconds of a horror helicopter crash that killed two Brit newlyweds are being scrutinised as cops try to unravel the tragedy. Alexander Cromie, 31, and Marie Ebert, 30, died alongside an experienced pilot mere feet from a helipad on the idyllic Greek island where they honeymooning. A Brit newlywed couple and experienced Greek pilot died in a helicopter crash on Sunday Credit: Reuters New footage shows the aircraft make a sharp right turn seconds before the crash Horrifying footage showed the aircraft hurtling towards the ground before exploding in a fireball on Monday. The small private aircraft crashed while attempting to land on the helipad in Sifnos at around 6.15pm local time. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Pilot Giorgos Raikos, 55, a Greek military veteran with thousands of flying hours, radioed in to say he was preparing to land. But then there are several seconds of silence and no distress call before the helicopter plummeted to earth. Alex Cromie died in a horror helicopter crash during his honeymoon in Greece Credit: Facebook / Alex Cromie Marie Ebert also passed away in the tragic crash Credit: Facebook / Marie Ebert Authorities are now trying to establish whether there was a critical mechanical failure or if Raikos suffered a sudden medical problem. Residents reported hearing a strange noise as the helicopter came in to land. Deputy Mayor of Sifnos, Manolis Fountoulakis told ERTnews: “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.” Most read in The Sun The helicopter landed just feet from the island’s helipad Credit: Athena Smoke billowing from the crash site Credit: Reuters A Sifnos resident told The Sun: “I heard a loud noise and smelled something burnt. “I went out straight away and saw thick black smoke billowing from the site. “It appears that the pilot lost control before landing – the area where it crashed is a densely populated area so if he had realised something was wrong he would have tried to land somewhere else like in Herronisso. “It looks like he attempted to land but didn’t make it on time.” A reconstruction of the flight path revealed that the helicopter crashed a short distance from its correct landing location. One theory is that its tail rotor broke on approach. Former Greek Air Force pilot Pantelis Frangoulis highlighted that the helicopter made a sharp right turn in a new video showing the crash. He told ERTnews that the peculiar movement most likely suggests an issue with the aircraft’s tail section on approach. Emergency personnel and locals work at the crash site Credit: Reuters Frangoulis said it is of particular importance to determine whether the copter recorded any damage in the previous days and if any maintenance work had been done. At such a low altitude, there is little to no time for the pilot to react or disengage the system. The last few seconds of the harrowing footage showed the aircraft flying unstably and gradually losing height. Investigators have been scrutinising the footage frame by frame while analysing the crash site. Alexander and Marie were found within the wreckage, while the pilot was found a short distance outside. A doctor at the Sifnos Regional Clinic said the scene suggests that Raikos managed to escape the impact alive but later succumbed to severe burns. All three were confirmed dead at the scene as fire crews rushed to extinguish the inferno. A tribute has now been paid to Alex who worked as a vice president in private wealth solutions for US-based investment management company Blackstone. A spokesperson for the company 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.” Marie landed her role as senior specialist in market reputation at top London firm Bain & Co last July after forging a career in asset management, private equity, and consulting. They paid tribute to the Brit, saying: “We are shocked to read reports of a tragic accident in Greece regarding one of our colleagues and her husband. “Our thoughts and support are with the families involved at this very difficult time.” The couple had opted to take a 40 minute helicopter hop to their island honeymoon retreat from Markopoulo near Athens rather than a ferry trip lasting up to five hours. Comment now