Two firefighting helicopters collide near Athens, two dead

Two people were killed and two others survived after two firefighting helicopters collided midair and crashed west of Athens on Sunday, August 2, 2026, during operations against a major wildfire. The Hellenic Fire Service confirmed the Bell helicopters, each carrying a two-person crew, went down in the Psatha area on the boundary between Attica and Boeotia. The victims were identified as a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer. A British pilot and a second Greek coordinator aboard the other aircraft survived with minor injuries and were hospitalized.

Video footage showed the helicopters converging at low altitude before the main rotor of one struck the underside of the other. The lower helicopter caught fire and crashed into a ravine, while the second aircraft dumped its water load and made an emergency landing. Search and rescue teams were immediately mobilized, locating all four crew members. The two survivors were found unconscious but later recovered. The aircraft were leased from the Australian company McDermott Aviation and had taken off from the Elefsina military airport. In line with safety protocols, Greece's entire fleet of Bell helicopters was...