Two Firefighting Helicopters Collide Over Greek Wildfire. Two Crew Dead.
Two firefighting helicopters collided mid-air over Psatha in Attica on Sunday while battling a major wildfire raging across the Attica-Boeotia region. Of the four crew members on board, two were killed, a Danish pilot and a Greek fire coordinator. The other two survived with minor injuries.
All four men were private contractors working for companies that lease aircraft to the Greek state for aerial firefighting operations. None of the crew were members of the Greek Fire Service itself. The two Bell helicopters had taken off from Eleusis airport before the collision occurred.
Two survivors were found conscious; the other two were pulled unconscious and transported to hospital.
Emergency crews from the Fire Service were immediately deployed to locate and recover all crew members. The operation was coordinated on the ground by Fire Service Chief Lieutenant General Theodoros Vagias. Two survivors were found conscious, while the other two were pulled unconscious and transported by ambulance to the 251 General Air Force Hospital in Athens.
Following the accident, all Bell-type helicopters operating in the area were grounded in line with standard protocol, pending further decision. Aerial firefighting efforts are continuing with eight Erickson helicopters, two Canadair aircraft, and two Chinook helicopters deployed to contain the blaze.
The exact cause and circumstances of the collision are under investigation by the relevant authorities.
