Greek firefighting helicopters collide midair during western Attica wildfire

A firefighting helicopter collision over western Attica turned a wildfire mission into a high-risk rescue operation on Sunday, after two aircraft struck each other in midair near the coastal area of Psatha, west of Athens. The Greek fire department said four crew members were rescued, including two who were reported unconscious, after video showed one helicopter crashing to the ground.

The helicopters were battling a massive wildfire in western Attica when the collision occurred, adding another layer of strain to Greece’s already severe summer fire season. ERT said one pilot managed to contact the Fire Service operations center after the crash, helping trigger a large-scale search-and-rescue response as crews moved quickly to reach the wreckage near the shoreline.

Video circulated from the scene showed the helicopters colliding in the air, with BBC reporting that one aircraft hit the propellers of the other before the crash. One of the helicopters was identified as a Bell 214ST operated by McDermott Aviation, and the Aviation Safety Network later listed the Psatha accident as a destroyed Bell 214ST with two fatalities on board.

The incident unfolded as Greece faced multiple blazes fed by strong winds and record summer heat across Europe, conditions that have pushed firefighting aircraft and crews into increasingly hazardous, low-altitude work over smoke, turbulence and shifting terrain. The western Attica collision underscored how quickly aerial suppression can turn catastrophic when aircraft are forced to operate in tight spaces above active fire fronts.

The risks were not abstract. In July 2022, two people were killed when a firefighting helicopter crashed into the sea off the island of Samos, another reminder of how unforgiving aerial wildfire response can be in Greece. The latest collision near Psatha, only about 65 kilometers west of Athens, added fresh pressure on emergency planners already managing a season defined by speed, heat and overloaded response systems.