Caught on Video: Two helicopters collide battling Greece wildfires, 2 dead

A horrific incident unfolded in Greece where two crew members were killed after two helicopters collided mid‑air while battling wildfires. The victims were identified as a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer. Meanwhile, a British pilot and another Greek coordinator on the second helicopter survived. The names of the four crew members have not been publicly released.

The incident occurred about 65 km (42 miles) west of Athens. Videos of the collision surfaced on social media showing one of the two Bell helicopters striking the rotors of the other, which then burst into flames and crashed into a ravine. The second aircraft managed an emergency landing.




The tragedy comes as Greece grapples with wildfires this week, prompting mass evacuations. Other European states have also suffered devastating blazes during prolonged heatwaves.

The two Bell helicopters, leased from Australian company McDermott Aviation, collided on Sunday (August 2, 2026) while taking part in efforts to tackle a large wildfire burning on the Attica‑Boeotia border, the BBC reported, citing the Greek Fire Service.

The crew members of one aircraft were rescued alive, while the second crew was recovered unconscious and later pronounced dead. All Bell helicopters across the country have been grounded, a source from the civil protection ministry told the BBC.

The source added that the second Bell helicopter involved in the collision made an emergency landing in an area of low vegetation. “The two people on board, a British pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer — escaped with minor injuries,” the source said.

“Both remained conscious and have been admitted to hospital, where they will remain under observation for 24 hours as a precaution.” The source also told the BBC the British survivor was a private pilot hired for the wildfire season.

He was not part of any exchange between the UK and Greece, and there was no request for assistance from Athens. According to Greece’s Ekathimerini news website, the two survivors immediately reported the collision, guiding rescuers to the crash site.

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