Two killed as firefighting helicopters collide over Greek wildfire near Psatha

Two other crew members survived with minor leg injuries and are out of danger.

The survivors — a Greek coordinator-translator and a British pilot — were being treated at the 251 Air Force General Hospital in Athens, according to sources cited by iefimerida.gr.

All Bell-type helicopters operating on the fire front were grounded immediately following the crash, in line with standard safety protocol.

Pilot and aviation expert Pantelis Frangoulis called the collision a "tragic error" in comments to Mega television, saying video of the incident raised serious questions for investigators.

He said that if one of the aircraft was confirmed to have been performing a coordination role, that would be significant, since coordination helicopters are barred from operating at the same altitude as water-dropping aircraft maneuvering over an active fire.

He said the Fire Service must first clarify the second helicopter's exact role before conclusions can be drawn.

Retired Air Vice Marshal Vasilis Vrettos told ERTnews that air accidents typically result from a chain of contributing factors rather than a single mistake.

Based on available footage, he said one helicopter appeared to approach the other at higher speed from a position that likely blocked visual contact, with the second aircraft making a last-second turn that may have worsened the situation.

"It appears neither pilot saw the other," he said, cautioning that while human error looks likely, other factors may yet emerge from the investigation.

Separately, Greece's Fire Service reported 33 arrests over five days linked to ongoing wildfires nationwide, saying the causes of the major blazes have now been determined.