Sifnos Helicopter Crash Kills 3, Probe Eyes Mechanical Failure

Q: What triggered the mysterious noise just before a honeymooning couple's helicopter tragically fell from the Greek sky?

It has not been definitively established. Greek authorities said the cause of the Sifnos helicopter crash remained under investigation, so the source of the “loud, strange noise” heard moments before the aircraft fell is still unknown. Witnesses and local officials said residents heard an unusual noise “like military aircraft” just before the helicopter went down near the island’s heliport. Some local reports suggested the aircraft may have suffered a mechanical failure in the air, and one witness said it appeared to spin rapidly before crashing, but those accounts were not officially confirmed. The victims were widely reported in local media to be a recently married British couple on their honeymoon and a Greek pilot, though authorities initially did not release identities. The helicopter, reportedly a Bell 206, crashed in the Tholos area of Sifnos and burst into flames, killing all three people aboard. At this stage, the most accurate answer is that the mysterious noise was reported by witnesses, but investigators have not yet determined what triggered it.

3 articles · Updated · AOL · Aug 18

Alexander Cromie, Marie Ebert and pilot Giorgos Raikos died when their private helicopter crashed in Sifnos' Tholos area and burst into flames minutes before a scheduled 6:15 p.m. landing.
Investigators are reviewing flight records, weather and possible mechanical failure after locals reported a bizarre engine noise and air traffic control lost radio contact shortly after the pilot said he was preparing to land.
Raikos, 55, was identified as a retired Hellenic Army veteran turned professional pilot; two victims were found in the wreckage and a third nearby, according to local officials.
The British couple were on their honeymoon, flying from Markopoulo near Athens to the popular Cycladic island, while the U.K. Foreign Office said it was supporting their families.