Two dead, two injured in mid-air collision of two firefighting helicopters in Greece, according to media

Two individuals perished and two others sustained injuries when two firefighting helicopters collided in the skies over Greece on August 2, 2026. The aircraft were actively engaged in combating a wildfire in Psatha, a coastal area approximately 60 kilometers west of Athens.

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The two deceased are the Romanian pilot of the helicopter and the Greek co-pilot, according to the Skai broadcaster, which indicates that the crew members of the other aircraft - also a Romanian and a Greek - have been transferred to a hospital with minor injuries.

The deceased have been identified as the Romanian pilot and the Greek co-pilot of one helicopter. The two pilots of the second aircraft, also a Romanian and a Greek national, were transported to a hospital with minor injuries. Media outlets broadcast footage showing the two helicopters flying in close proximity before the collision, after which one aircraft caught fire, lost its main rotor, and plummeted to the ground.

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Several channels have offered images of how the two aircraft fly very close until they collide and one of them catches fire and loses the main propeller, plummeting to the ground.

Some reports suggest the helicopters were Bell 124 models. Both aircraft had been leased by the Fire Corps and had departed from the Elefsina military airport. It remains unclear if the Greek crew members were part of the Air Force, which typically operates firefighting aircraft.

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The aircraft, identified as Bell 124 models by some media, were participating in the firefighting efforts of a fire in Psatha, a coastal town about 60 kilometers west of Athens.

The wildfire, which ignited four days prior, has already consumed approximately 10,000 hectares, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. The fire's eastern front is currently situated about 35 kilometers from Athens. This incident tragically follows another event last Wednesday, where three firefighters lost their lives while fighting fires on the island of Crete and in the southern Peloponnese, both of which are now under control.

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The two aircraft had been rented by the Fire Corps and had taken off from the Elefsina military airport, but it has not yet been reported whether the Greek crew members were members of the Air Force, who usually pilot firefighting aircraft.