Sifnos: Honeymoon ends in tragedy – What investigators are examining in helicopter crash

Three people were killed when a private helicopter crashed in the Tholos area of Sifnos, a short distance from a helipad. The Greek pilot and a British tourist couple were recovered dead.

“The crash occurred just 50 metres from homes and the landing area, right next to the Monastery of Panagia Vrysiani,” an island resident said.

In footage published by ERT, a security camera captured the moment of the accident.

The helicopter can be seen flying out of control, and just seconds later the camera records the explosion caused by the crash and thick plumes of smoke.

The helicopter’s flight path

The Bell helicopter had been chartered, and the pilot had been hired by Bellavia Aviation Services just two months earlier.

The private helicopter is believed to have departed from Athens and, shortly after 6 p.m., crashed near the Sifnos helipad for reasons that remain unknown. One scenario currently being examined by the authorities as a possible cause of the crash is the loss of the helicopter’s tail rotor.

The crash sparked a fire. Firefighters and police rushed to the scene. During the firefighting operation, the bodies of all three people on board were located.

According to reports, the two passengers were British tourists visiting Greece. The couple were reportedly newlyweds travelling to Sifnos for their honeymoon.

The pilot was Greek and a retired Army Aviation officer.