Six Dead in Mid-Air Helicopter Collision Over Rio de Janeiro

Two civil helicopters collided mid-air over the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 14, 2026, killing six people. The accident occurred at approximately 8:59 a.m. local time above Avenida das Américas, according to Brazilian firefighters and local news outlets.

The Collision and Ground Impact

The aircraft involved were a Bell 206B JetRanger III (registration PP-MAC), operated by Turfik Comércio de Frutas Ltda., and a privately owned Eurocopter AS350 B2 Écureuil (registration PR-DJJ). After the impact, the Bell 206B struck a car park at an electric vehicle dealership on the grounds of an abandoned church, exploding on contact and igniting between 15 and 20 EVs and triggering secondary explosions, according to Brazilian television news and the South China Morning Post. The AS350 B2 came down roughly 100 meters away; that aircraft did not catch fire, though its pilot was found trapped in the wreckage.

Casualties and Investigation

All six fatalities were occupants of the two aircraft; no ground deaths were officially confirmed. Those killed aboard the Bell 206B were American singer and internet personality Oliver Tree, Argentine director and screenwriter Lucas Vignale, Argentine YouTuber Gaspar "Gaspi" Prim, Brazilian music producer Lucas Brito Chaves, and the aircraft's pilot, Alexandre Souza. The sixth victim was the pilot of the AS350 B2. Brazil's Air Force (FAB) and the Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) have opened a formal investigation, with specialists from SERIPA-3 deployed to collect evidence and determine contributing factors.