All six people on board two helicopters died when they collided mid-air over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday at 8am local time. The crash sent flaming wreckage into an abandoned churchyard and a car park, where fires spread to parked electric vehicles, triggering further explosions.
Victims and Foreign Nationals
Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere confirmed that foreign nationals were on board one of the aircraft, though he did not provide further details. All occupants of both helicopters perished in the accident.
Investigation Underway
Fire services spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Fabio Contreiras told CNN Brasil that parts of the aircraft were scattered hundreds of meters away. He stated that investigators need recordings and videos to understand how the collision occurred. Rescue workers found one helicopter in flames among electric cars with five victims inside, while the second helicopter, about 100 meters away, carried only the pilot, who also died.
Contreiras noted that the crash site being in a parking area prevented a higher death toll. He highlighted the challenges of fighting fires involving lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles, which release highly toxic gases and require three to four times more water to extinguish than standard car fires.
Official Response
The Brazilian Air Force was called to handle the initial response for the two aircraft, registrations PP-MAC and PR-DJJ, in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Rio de Janeiro. Authorities are collecting data and preserving evidence for the investigation.
According to the Centre for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA), there have been 84 aircraft accidents in 2026 so far, resulting in 25 deaths, not including this latest collision.
