A British couple’s honeymoon ended in tragedy when the helicopter carrying them to a Greek island spiraled from the sky and exploded just minutes before they were due to land, killing the newlyweds and their experienced pilot.
Alexander “Alex” Cromie and his wife, Marie Ebert, were heading to Sifnos on Monday, Aug. 17, during what should have been one of the happiest trips of their lives.
Flying them from Markopoulo, near Athens, was 55-year-old Giorgos Raikos, a former air force officer described by sources as “extremely experienced” behind the controls.
The journey was almost over.
According to People, their chopper was expected to touch down at around 6:15 p.m. before departing again just 25 minutes later, but as the aircraft approached the island, the routine landing suddenly unraveled.
‘Nothing was left’
A little after 6 p.m., Raikos contacted air traffic control to say he was preparing to land, according to News 24/7.
Then communication stopped.
Footage circulating online captures what happened next, showing the helicopter spinning through the air as it rapidly loses altitude. Still rotating as it drops toward the island, the aircraft slams into a field and erupts into a fireball, scattering wreckage across the area as thick smoke billows through the air.
When emergency crews reached the scene, the destruction was devastating. Manolis Foundoulakis, deputy mayor of Sifnos, told News 24/7 that all three people aboard were killed instantly and that practically “nothing was left” of the helicopter.
Two of the victims were reportedly found among the wreckage, while the third was located a short distance away.
The helicopter’s violent descent, however, may not have come without warning.
According to Foundoulakis, residents living near the crash site reported hearing a “loud, strange noise” from the helicopter shortly before it fell from the sky.
What went wrong?
The crash happened in weather that was reportedly normal, with no strong winds affecting the island at the time, according to Greek newspaper Ta Nea.
That has left aviation investigators trying to determine what caused a helicopter flown by an experienced former military pilot to suddenly lose control so close to its destination.
Flight information and the aircraft itself are now being examined, with investigators also looking at the possibility of a mechanical failure.
The strange engine noise reported by residents and the silence that followed Raikos’ final communication with air traffic control will form part of the wider effort to understand the helicopter’s last moments.
For the families of those onboard, however, the investigation cannot change how abruptly the journey ended.
‘Beloved by everyone’
Back in Britain, news of their deaths quickly reached the workplaces where both had built successful careers.
Cromie worked for U.S.-based investment firm Blackstone, where his LinkedIn profile listed him as a vice president in private wealth solutions.
“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,” a company spokesperson said, according to the BBC.
“Alex was beloved by everyone who knew and worked with him at Blackstone, and our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones.”
Ebert had also established a successful career in London and joined management consulting firm Bain & Company in July 2025 as a senior specialist in market reputation.
Her colleagues were also left reeling by the news.
“We are shocked to read reports of a tragic accident in Greece regarding one of our colleagues and her husband,” Bain & Company said in a statement.
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