2 months ago
Two Firefighting Helicopters Collide Over Athens, Two Killed
Two helicopters that were fighting wildfires over Athens crashed into each other in the air.
One helicopter crashed to the ground and its two pilots died.
The other helicopter kept flying and its crew was rescued.
The helicopters were rented from an Australian company and were being used by the Greek fire department.
The crash happened while many other fires were burning across Greece, and the Prime Minister said he was very sad about the loss of the pilots.
Two Bell 214ST firefighting helicopters collided over Psatha, west of Athens.
The crash killed the two‑person crew of one helicopter (a Greek and a Danish pilot).
The other helicopter’s crew was rescued after the impact.
The helicopters were leased from Australian company McDermott Aviation and operated by the Greek fire department.
Authorities grounded all Bell helicopters in the area and the Prime Minister expressed condolences.
- Who
- Greek fire department crews and Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis
- What
- Two firefighting helicopters collided mid‑air, killing two pilots
- Where
- Psatha area west of Athens, Greece
- When
- Sunday
- Why
- During a wildfire suppression operation amid adverse weather conditions
Key facts
- Incident
- Helicopter collision
- Location
- Psatha, Attica, Greece
- Date
- Sunday (exact date not specified)
- Helicopters involved
- 2 Bell 214ST
- Casualties
- 2 pilots killed, 2 rescued
Quotes
Vassilis Vathrakogiannis
Director of communications for the Greek fire department
“I express my deepest sorrow for the tragic accident involving the two leased firefighting helicopters that cost the lives of two frontline fighters in the war against the fires under highly adverse weather conditions—especially for our aerial assets. The loss of the Greek coordinator and the Danish pilot while they were operating in the major fire at Porto Germeno fills us all with grief. Sincere condolences to their families.”
livemint.com
“The pilots...were taken unconscious to hospital, where their death was confirmed,”
livemint.com
Sources
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