Overview
- Two contracted Bell helicopters collided over the coastal village of Psatha west of Athens on Sunday, causing one aircraft to catch fire and killing the two occupants of that helicopter while two crew from the other were rescued injured.
- Rescue teams found all four occupants and took them to the 251st Air Force Hospital, and authorities have ordered Bell helicopters used in the Psatha operation to be grounded as investigators review the crash.
- Officials said strong gusting winds, heavy smoke and poor visibility limited aerial firefighting operations on the day of the collision and cited those conditions as central lines of inquiry for investigators examining communications, flight paths and maintenance records.
- Fire suppression has continued using other helicopters, fixed-wing tankers and ground crews while hundreds of firefighters carry out evacuations and protect threatened communities in western Attica.
- The crash adds to a week of deadly and widespread blazes that have burned thousands of hectares, killed three firefighters earlier this week, and could prompt changes to rules for contracted aircraft and air‑operation coordination during extreme weather.