Greece suspects helicopter rotor in UK couple's deaths

ATHENS: Greece's civil aviation authority has suggested a possible tail rotor malfunction may have caused a helicopter crash that killed two British newlyweds on the Aegean island of Sifnos. Preliminary evaluation of the wreckage indicates signs of an issue with the helicopter's tail rotor performance, according to the agency. The private Bell 206 helicopter plummeted to the ground near homes on Sifnos just before it was scheduled to land at a local helipad.

Footage from Greek television shows the helicopter in a descent over a hillside, stalling mid-air, spinning, and crashing. A deputy mayor of Sifnos, Manolis Foutoulakis, reported residents had heard a strange sound prior to the crash. One passenger was discovered some distance away from the wreckage. The crash ignited a fire that was swiftly put out by the local fire department.

Media outlets identified the newlyweds as Alexander Cromie and Marie Ebert, and the pilot, former Greek army pilot Giorgos Raikos, who is a father of three. The civil aviation authority has now urged all Greek operators operating Bell 206 helicopters to inspect their tail rotors and tail rotor drive systems before any flight. The accident is under investigation by Greece's national agency for aviation and transportation safety and the police.