Two firefighting helicopters owned by Australian company McDermott Aviation collided in mid-air on Sunday while battling a major wildfire west of Athens, killing two crew members.<\/h4>\n
The crash occurred in the Psatha area of western Attica as the aircraft were supporting operations against a wind-driven blaze that has destroyed more than 100 homes and forced evacuations. Video footage shows one helicopter striking the other before crashing in flames; the second aircraft made an emergency landing.<\/p>\n A Danish pilot and a Greek fire service coordinator were killed. The crew of the second helicopter \u2014 a British pilot and another Greek coordinator \u2014 survived with injuries and were taken to hospital in Athens.<\/p>\n McDermott Aviation founder and president John McDermott confirmed both helicopters belonged to the company, which has been operating in Greece for seven years and deployed 15 aircraft for the 2026 fire season.<\/p>\n \u201cOur thoughts and deepest condolences are with the families, friends and colleagues of those affected by this tragic incident,\u201d McDermott said. \u201cBoth crews were undertaking the critical work of supporting firefighting operations to help protect communities.\u201d<\/p>\n Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed \u201cdeepest sorrow\u201d over the loss of the Greek coordinator and Danish pilot, saying the accident \u201cfills us all with grief.\u201d<\/p>\n An official investigation into the cause of the collision has begun. All Bell helicopters were temporarily grounded following the incident as a safety precaution, while other aircraft continued firefighting efforts.<\/p>\n Strong winds and dry conditions continue to complicate efforts to contain multiple wildfires across Greece.<\/p>\n![\"McDermott](\"https:\/\/greekcitytimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Firefighting-helicopters-collide-Greece-Credit-X-felix-thracicus-video-screen-capture-1392x1051.jpg-1024x773.webp)
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