Authorities are conducting a full investigation to determine the causes of the crash of the Bell 206 helicopter on Sifnos, which claimed the lives of three people.
The preliminary investigation into the tragic aviation accident has been assigned to the police, and for this reason, two experienced officers from the Organized Crime Division from Athens, as well as a team from the Cyclades Police Directorate. The Sifnos Police Station is collecting evidence under the supervision of the Milos Police Department, to which it is administratively subordinate; for this reason, the department’s commander has already traveled there, while reinforcements from Naxos are expected to secure the helicopter crash site.
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As part of the investigation, the Hellenic Police has appointed forensic experts, and a forensic examination has been ordered, initially to conduct DNA testing for the official identification of the victims, followed by the necessary laboratory tests to determine the causes of death. At the same time, all available evidence will be gathered, and statements will be taken.
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It should be noted that, according to the information available so far, authorities are examining two possible causes for the helicopter crash: Either there was a problem with the helicopter’s rear rotor, or something unexpected happened to the pilot.
For this reason, the area has been cordoned off until the autopsies and the investigation of the wreckage are completed, which may reveal whether there was any mechanical failure in the helicopter, while the findings of the forensic medical examination are also awaited to determine whether there was an issue with the pilot.
It should be noted that, according to the helicopter’s flight plan—which was operating as an air taxi and took off yesterday afternoon, August 17, 2026, from the Markopoulo area of Attica bound for Exambela on Sifnos, the 55-year-old Greek pilot and a newlywed British couple on their honeymoon were on board.
Before landing, however, it began to circle in the air and eventually crashed to the ground, after which it caught fire, near the heliport, where the three passengers met a tragic end.
Alongside the police, investigations will be conducted by other relevant agencies, which will submit their own findings following analyses by experts.
Specifically, the Fire Department has already had its own autopsy report since last night, concerning the fire and the recovery of the three bodies, as part of standard procedure, while the National Organization for the Investigation of Aviation and Railway Accidents and Transportation Safety (EODASAM).
According to reports, the experts are expected to arrive in Sifnos this afternoon.
Investigators are closely examining a video taken by a private citizen at the time of the crash, which shows the helicopter making sudden turns, as if it were losing control, and then crashing to the ground.
The video was filmed by a guest at a tourist accommodation across from the helipad, who handed it over to the police and, according to reports, has already given a statement about what he saw.
Police are also gathering statements from other people who were in the area, as it was reported from the outset that there is a witness account stating that a noise was heard coming from the helicopter before it lost stability and crashed.
Once the investigation is complete, all the evidence will be turned over to the relevant prosecutor.
SOURCE: APE
