A damaged rotor blade from an earlier incident may have caused the Greek helicopter crash that killed British newlyweds Alexander Cromie and Marie Ebert last week.
Mr Cromie, 31, and Ms Ebert, 30, died alongside their Greek pilot when the Bell 206 aircraft crashed near a heliport on the island of Sifnos on Monday. Witnesses reported seeing the helicopter spin out of control as it came in to land, suggesting a tail rotor failure before it struck the ground.
Footage from the crash site showed the helicopter immediately engulfed in a fireball, sending dense black smoke billowing into the sky from the blackened wreckage. The couple, who were based in London, had booked the 80-mile private air taxi flight to Sifnos costing £1,300 as a treat during their honeymoon in Greece.
Investigation into earlier Paros incident
Greek air accident investigators are examining whether the crash was linked to an incident involving the same helicopter 11 weeks earlier. According to a report filed with Greece's Civil Aviation Authority, restraining straps were placed on the aircraft after it landed on the neighbouring Cyclades island of Paros on June 1 to immobilise the tail blades against high winds.
However, the pilot failed to ensure the protective straps had been removed before starting the engine to take passengers off the island. Aviation experts are assessing whether the incident caused structural strain or damage to the tail rotor assembly that may have contributed to the fatal crash weeks later.
Flight tracker records indicate that the helicopter remained on Paros for three weeks after the June 1 incident. The Bell 206, a popular single-engine aircraft used widely for island charter flights across Greece, subsequently received an air-worthiness certificate on July 2.
Precautionary checks and ongoing inquiry
Investigators cautioned that their inquiry will be hampered by the intense fire that destroyed much of the helicopter. As a precaution following the crash, the Civil Aviation Authority has ruled that visual and functional checks must be carried out on the tail rotors of all Bell 206 helicopters before every flight in Greece.
Meanwhile, relatives of Mr Cromie and Ms Ebert are reported to have flown to Athens to formally identify their bodies.
Tributes to London professionals
Tributes have been paid to both victims by their employers in London. Mr Cromie worked as a vice-president in private wealth solutions for asset management company Blackstone, one of the world's largest investment firms. A spokesman for Blackstone said Mr Cromie was "beloved by everyone who worked with him".
Ms Ebert was a senior specialist at Bain & Company, a major global management consultancy. The firm described her as a "much-loved and deeply respected" member of its London team.
