2026 Rio de Janeiro mid-air collision
Accident
Date 14 June 2026 (2026-06-14)
Summary Mid-air collision; under investigation
Site
Map
Total fatalities 6
Total survivors 0
First aircraft

A Bell 206 similar to the one involved
Type Bell 206B JetRanger III
Operator RG8 Aviation (Used by Turfik Comércio de Frutas Ltda.)
Registration PP-MAC
Occupants 5
Passengers 4
Crew 1
Fatalities 5
Survivors 0
Second aircraft

A Eurocopter HB350 B Esquilo similar to the one involved
Type Eurocopter HB350 B Esquilo
Operator Private
Registration PR-DJJ
Destination Carmelo Jordão-Angra dos Reis Airport
Occupants 1
Passengers 0
Crew 1
Fatalities 1
Survivors 0

On 14 June 2026, a mid-air collision involving two helicopters killed six people in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood, Southwest Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Among the victims were American singer-songwriter Oliver Tree, Argentine YouTuber Gaspi, Argentine director and screenwriter Lucas A. Vignale, and Brazilian music producer Lucas Frota.

Background

Aircraft

The aircraft involved were PR-DJJ, a privately owned Eurocopter HB350 B Esquilo manufactured in 2012, and PP-MAC, a Bell 206B JetRanger III manufactured in 1999 and operated by RG8 Aviation, and legally registered as belonging to a fruit trading company in Brazil (Turfik Comércio de Frutas Ltda).[1][2][3] Oswaldo de Luca Filho, the owner of PP-MAC, had previously been fined by the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC) in July 2025 for refusing to show books, accounting documents, information, and statistics to inspection agents.[4]

Passengers and crew

American singer-songwriter Oliver Tree, Argentine YouTuber Gaspi, Argentine director and screenwriter Lucas A. Vignale and Brazilian music producer Lucas Frota were among the victims of the accident

The pilot of the Bell helicopter was Alexandre Souza, and the passengers were Brazilian music producer Lucas Frota, American musician Oliver Tree, Argentine director and screenwriter Lucas A. Vignale, and YouTuber Gaspi. The sole occupant of the Eurocopter was pilot Charles Marsillac.[5]

Tree was in Brazil for his World's First World Tour in support of the album Love You Madly Hate You Badly, which had 70 planned concerts across 30 countries. He performed a concert in São Paulo on 6 June, and his next concert was planned for 1 July in Lisbon, Portugal.[6][7][8]

Accident

The first aircraft took off from Angra dos Reis, and the second from Jacarepaguá, both in compliance with regulations.[9] The aircraft collided at roughly 8:59 a.m. Brasília time, above the grounds of an abandoned church that had been rented by a BYD car dealership, on the block of Avenida das Américas [pt] between Beth Lago and Rivadávia Campos streets.[10] The Bell exploded upon impact, causing a fire that affected about 20 cars. The column of smoke was seen for miles around, including from the Zico Football Center. The Eurocopter did not catch fire and crashed with its landing gear facing upwards.[11] Fuselages were scattered within a radius of at least 100 m (330 ft), with a tail section being found on the roof of a neighboring building.[10][12][13] A security camera captured one of the helicopters falling.[14][15] A witness reportedly saw one of the helicopters in flames, and a passenger jumping from another aircraft before it hit the ground.[16]

Aftermath

About 45 military personnel and 15 vehicles were deployed to the scene. A lane of the avenue was closed for rescue operations. By 10:00 a.m., the fire had been brought under control, and firefighters were searching for fuel leaks.[10] Most of the bodies from the Bell 206 were burned beyond recognition.[17] Shortly after the crash, Brazilian authorities were able to confirm the identities of five out of the six bodies. However, Tree's body, which sustained extensive damage, was unable to be confirmed at the time. On June 16, dental analysis confirmed Tree as the sixth body.[18]

Following the accident, Claudio Caiado [pt], state deputy in the Legislative Assembly of Rio de Janeiro, proposed a bill providing for greater transparency, monitoring and sanctions for air operations in the state.[19]

Victims

Local sources reported the list of the victims:[10][20][21][22]

Occupants of the Bell 206
  • Alexandre Souza, Brazilian pilot
  • Oliver Tree, American singer-songwriter and rapper
  • Lucas A. Vignale, Argentine director and screenwriter
  • Gaspi, Argentine YouTuber and streamer
  • Lucas Frota, Brazilian music producer and DJ
Occupants of the AS350
  • Charles Marsillac, Brazilian pilot

Investigation

The Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center unit of the Brazilian Air Force and the National Civil Aviation Agency confirmed they will investigate the accident.[23] The local fire department, the Traffic Engineering Company, and the 31st Military Police Battalion were working on the site.[24] Local civil police requested a forensic examination of the site.[9] Hours after the crash, Eduardo Cavaliere, mayor of Rio de Janeiro, said that there were "foreign nationals on board one of the aircraft" without specifying who.[15] Fire services spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Fabio Contreiras said information was still preliminary, and that the crash could have been more serious considering the surrounding residences.[15] Brazilian police investigator Alan Luxardo said that human error was a possible crash cause, noting that police were determining if the pilot or air traffic controllers were responsible.[25]

Reactions

Numerous notable figures made social media tributes to Tree, including Oliver Heldens, KSI, T-Pain, Robin Schulz, Bebe Rexha, Kid Cudi, Whitney Cummings, Diplo, Post Malone, and Tree's ex-girlfriend Melanie Martinez.[24][26][27][28][29][30] Several Brazilian artists and others gave their condolences in response to the deaths.[31]

See also

  • List of accidents and incidents involving helicopters
  • List of civilian mid-air collisions
  • List of fatalities from aviation accidents
  • 1960 Rio de Janeiro mid-air collision

References

  1. ^ "Mid-air collision Accident Aerospatiale AS 350B2 Ecureuil PR-DJJ, Sunday 14 June 2026". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. 14 June 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  2. ^ "Mid-air collision Accident Bell 206B JetRanger III PP-MAC, Sunday 14 June 2026". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. 14 June 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  3. ^ "Helicóptero que caiu no Rio é modelo Esquilo; veja detalhes" [Helicopter that crashed in Rio is an Esquilo model; see details.]. G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 14 June 2026. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  4. ^ "Dono de helicóptero envolvido em acidente no RJ foi autuado pela Anac em 2025" [Owner of helicopter involved in accident in Rio de Janeiro was fined by ANAC in 2025.] (in Portuguese). G1. 14 June 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  5. ^ "Polícia Civil identifica seis mortos em acidente aéreo no Rio; veja quem são" [Civil Police identify six people killed in Rio plane crash; see who they are]. O Globo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 14 June 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  6. ^ Grutter, Felipe (14 June 2026). "Morre o cantor Oliver Tree, aos 32 anos, em acidente de helicóptero no Rio" [Singer Oliver Tree dies at 32 in helicopter crash in Rio]. Rolling Stone Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  7. ^ Glynn, Paul (15 June 2026). "US singer-songwriter Oliver Tree dies in helicopter collision in Brazil". BBC News. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  8. ^ Foster, Liz; Ingram, Paige (15 June 2026). "American singer Oliver Tree's final post before horror helicopter crash". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  9. ^ a b Bird, Daniel (14 June 2026). "Four stars die in mid-air helicopter disaster - everything we know so far". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  10. ^ a b c d Pierre, Eduardo; Augusto, Francini; Faria, Klara; Bispo, Mariana (14 June 2026). "Seis morrem em queda de 2 helicópteros no Recreio; aeronaves colidiram no ar" [Six people die in helicopter crash in Recreio; aircraft collided in mid-air]. G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  11. ^ Burke, Minyvonne; Mullen, Austin (16 June 2026). "What we know about fatal Brazil helicopter crash; singer Oliver Tree among 6 passengers". NBC News. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  12. ^ Saldanha, Rafael; Figueiredo, Carolina; Lopes, Bruna (14 June 2026). "Helicópteros caem no RJ: aeronaves estavam em situação regular na Anac" [Helicopters crash in Rio de Janeiro: aircraft were in good standing with ANAC (Brazilian Civil Aviation Agency)]. CNN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  13. ^ "US musician Oliver Tree, 32, killed in helicopter crash in Brazil". The Guardian. 14 June 2026. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  14. ^ "Vídeo mostra momento em que helicóptero cai no Rio de Janeiro; veja" [Video shows the moment a helicopter crashes in Rio de Janeiro; watch]. G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 14 June 2026. Archived from the original on 14 June 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  15. ^ a b c "American musician Oliver Tree killed in helicopter crash in Brazil". France 24. 14 June 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  16. ^ Hennessy, Peter (15 June 2026). "'Horrifying' aftermath of helicopter crash which killed singer and five others". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  17. ^ "Vídeo mostra momento da colisão entre helicópteros no Rio" [Video shows moment of helicopter collision in Rio]. G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 15 June 2026. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  18. ^ Machado, Ana Clara; Farias, Julia (16 June 2026). "Cantor Oliver Tree é a última vítima identificada de queda de helicóptero". CNN Brasil. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  19. ^ . 18 June 2026 https://diariodorio.com/projeto-na-alerj-preve-fiscalizacao-de-aeronaves-apos-acidente-no-recreio/. Retrieved 19 June 2026. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. ^ "DJ Lucas Frota, morto em acidente no Rio, fez carreira entre Miami e LA" [DJ Lucas Frota, who died in an accident in Rio, built a career between Miami and LA]. UOL Splash (in Brazilian Portuguese). 14 June 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  21. ^ "Singer Oliver Tree Dead at 32 After Helicopter Crash in Brazil". TMZ. 14 June 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  22. ^ Dunn, Jack (14 June 2026). "Oliver Tree, 'Alien Boy' and 'Life Goes On' Musician, Dies at 32 in Helicopter Crash". Variety. Archived from the original on 14 June 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  23. ^ "FAB vai investigar causas do acidente com helicópteros no Rio de Janeiro" [Brazilian Air Force to investigate causes of helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro] (in Portuguese). G1. 14 June 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  24. ^ a b Bird, Daniel (14 June 2026). "American singer dies aged 32 in tragic helicopter crash". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  25. ^ Bird, Daniel (15 June 2026). "Helicopter crash which killed Oliver Tree 'might've been caused by human error'". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  26. ^ Ebert, Francie (14 June 2026). "American singer Oliver Tree among list of passengers in deadly Brazil helicopter crash". NBC News. Archived from the original on 14 June 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  27. ^ Nicholas, Mike (15 June 2026). "Tributes flow after US Musician, Oliver Tree killed in helicopter crash". Cover Media. www.rova.nz. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
  28. ^ Cripe, Michael (14 June 2026). "Musician Oliver Tree Dead at 32 After Helicopter Crash in Brazil". IGN. Retrieved 14 June 2026.
  29. ^ . 18 June 2026 https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/post-malone-dedicates-toronto-concert-oliver-tree-1236275833/. Retrieved 19 June 2026. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  30. ^ Naveed, Fizza (15 June 2026). "Oliver Tree remembered by Melanie Martinez, KSI, Diplo and more Hollywood stars after fatal crash". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 16 June 2026.
  31. ^ "Famosos lamentam morte de Oliver Tree, vítima de acidente aéreo no Rio" [Celebrities mourn the death of Oliver Tree, victim of a plane crash in Rio]. CNN Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). 14 June 2026. Retrieved 14 June 2026.