Helicopters Collide Mid‑Air While Fighting Greece Wildfires

Sun Sep 06 2026 04:30:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Two helicopters collided over Greece while battling wildfires, leaving two crew unconscious and others lightly injured.

In a dramatic turn of events, two helicopters were seen colliding in mid‑air during a firefighting operation near Athens. The incident, captured on video, shows one aircraft striking the other’s propellers as both crashed into a ravine. Four crew members—two Greek and two Romanian—were rescued, with two unconscious and the others sustaining minor injuries. The event comes amid a severe wildfire outbreak across Greece, exacerbated by strong winds and long‑lasting heatwaves that have fueled the blazes.

Helicopters Collide Mid‑Air While Fighting Greece Wildfires

A video captured nine hours ago shows two helicopters in a firefighting operation over Greece’s Psatha area colliding in mid‑air. The impact tore off the second aircraft’s propellers, sending both helicopters into a ravine.

Rescue teams found four crew members—two Greek and two Romanian—at the crash site. Two of them were unconscious, while the rest suffered only light injuries before being transported to the 251st Air Force General Hospital.

The collision occurred in a region that has been battling a “titanic battle” of wildfires, with more than 500 firefighters working in Porto Germeno, Psatha, Fokida, Megara and Kefalonia over the past three days.

Strong winds and a succession of heatwaves have created conditions ripe for the blazes. Last winter’s wet season fostered lush vegetation that now dries in the hot spells, turning forests into tinder.

European neighbors—France and Spain—have also fought massive fires, with containment efforts underway. In Greece, residents vacated homes, and around 300,000 people are now returning as fires are being brought under control.

Helicopters firefighting over Greek forest