Two helicopters collided in the air over Recreio dos Bandeirantes on Sunday morning, crashed into a vehicle yard on avenida das Américas and killed six people. The wreckage also set about 20 vehicles on fire, turning a local accident into a scene of smoke, metal and emergency crews.
Among the dead was Oliver Tree, 32, the American singer whose name was already drawing searches after the crash. Gaspar Prim, known as Gaspi, also died in the collision. He had almost 7.5 million followers online, a scale that made the loss travel fast beyond Rio de Janeiro and into the wider music audience that had been following his work.
The aircraft involved were identified as PP-MAC and PR-DJJ. Five victims were in one helicopter and only the pilot was in the other, Charles Marsillac. A person close to him described Marsillac as “muito experiente e sério,” a detail that makes the collision harder to absorb: a man remembered as careful and seasoned was still unable to keep one of the aircraft from a fatal midair crash. The Civil Police said the case was being handled by the 42ª DP in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, while investigators from SERIPA III were activated on Sunday for the initial response.
The available facts still do not explain why the helicopters were in the same airspace or what led them to hit each other, but the early response shows how quickly the inquiry widened. The FAB said initial-response techniques were used to collect and confirm data, preserve evidence and check the first damage, with the investigation involving the Civil Police, FAB, CENIPA, SERIPA III, CET, Comlurb and the 31° BPM. With six dead and a fire that spread to roughly 20 vehicles, the next answers now rest with the wreckage, the flight data and the work of the investigators.
