Two firefighting helicopters collide in Greece; crew of one killed

A collision between two firefighting helicopters occurred Sunday afternoon in Porto Germeno, Greece, an area battling wildfires exacerbated by strong winds. Authorities confirmed that the crew of one helicopter perished in the accident, while the pilot of the other sustained minor injuries.

Greek media released footage capturing the moment of the mid-air collision. Initial reports suggest human error as the cause. Both helicopters had been engaged in firefighting efforts since the morning and had departed from the Elefsina military airport. The pilot of the second helicopter was able to contact the operations center immediately after the crash to report their precise location.

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The crew of one helicopter died in the accident.

According to the Hellenic Fire Service, the helicopters were leased, and the pilots were of Romanian nationality. Greek operational protocols for leased firefighting aircraft mandate specific crew compositions. While the captain of each helicopter must be a foreign national, Greek citizens are required for the positions of liaison officer and flight coordinator. The injured pilot and his co-pilot were transported to a hospital in Athens.

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The pilot of the second helicopter is slightly injured and he managed to contact the operations center immediately after the collision and report the exact location of the collision.