American alt-pop singer and internet personality Oliver Tree was aboard one of the two helicopters that collided mid-air in , leaving six dead, a police source told AFP.
Singer Oliver Tree dies in helicopter crash in Brazil
The alternative singer and internet personality was listed as one of six people on the manifest of one aircraft shared by the source, who said the victims could not be formally identified yet as they were badly burned in the crash.
The helicopters collided mid-air on Sunday morning in the western suburb of Rio de Janeiro called Recreio dos Bandeirantes before plummeting into the parking lot of an electric car dealership, setting ablaze around 20 cars, firefighters said.
Quick answers to key questions
What caused the helicopter crash involving Oliver Tree in Brazil?⌵
The helicopter crash occurred due to a mid-air collision between two helicopters in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, Brazil, resulting in six fatalities.
How many people were on the helicopters involved in the crash with Oliver Tree?⌵
One helicopter was carrying five passengers, including Oliver Tree, while the other helicopter had only the pilot, totaling six victims.
What happened to Oliver Tree and the other passengers in the helicopter crash?⌵
Oliver Tree and the other passengers were confirmed dead after their helicopter collided mid-air and crashed, with no survivors found.
Why did the helicopter crash in Brazil not result in a higher death toll?⌵
The crash occurred in a parking lot of an electric car dealership, which prevented additional casualties among surrounding residences and pedestrians.
What challenges do firefighters face when responding to helicopter crashes involving electric vehicles?⌵
Firefighters face challenges extinguishing fires from electric vehicles due to lithium-ion batteries that release toxic gases and require significantly more water to control.
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One of the helicopters was carrying five people, and the other only the pilot. There were no survivors.
The passengers on the same helicopter as Tree included a Brazilian music producer, Argentine video director and Argentine Gaspar Prim, known online as “Gaspi.”
The 32-year-old Tree — with a distinctive bowl haircut and eccentric, meme-worthy internet persona — was known for hits such as “Life Goes On,” “Miss You,” and “Alien Boy.”
He has over 11 million monthly listeners on , with his top songs listened to over 700 million times.
In recent days his Instagram account featured videos of him in Brazil, where he performed in Sao Paulo on June 6 on his tour of over 30 countries.
His next show was due in Lisbon on July 1.
Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere said earlier that there were “foreign nationals on board one of the aircraft,” without giving further details.
Burger King employee Thamires Santos, 27, said he was at work when he heard “a really loud explosion. The shop actually shook.”
After the collision he saw helicopter parts “flying in all directions.”
Fire services spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Fabio Contreiras told CNN Brasil at the scene that it was unclear exactly how the accident unfolded.
“Parts of the aircraft are scattered hundreds of meters away, so the information we have is still very preliminary,” he said. “We really need to get the recordings and videos to understand exactly what happened.”
Contreiras said rescue workers had discovered one in flames among the electric cars, with five victims inside.
A second helicopter found some 100 meters away was carrying only the pilot, who also died.
“Given the surrounding residences, the accident could have been far more tragic,” said Contreiras.
He highlighted the challenges in fighting a fire impacting electric vehicles, which contain lithium-ion batteries.
“When this type of battery catches fire, it releases highly toxic gases and intensifies both the temperature and the severity of the blaze. Extinguishing a fire in one of these vehicles requires three to four times the amount of water needed for a fire in a standard car.”
Small aircraft crashes are common in Brazil, the world’s fifth-largest country.
Last month a small plane crashed into the side of a building in the southeastern city of Belo Horizonte, killing the pilot and copilot.
According to statistics from the Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA) — not including this latest — there have been 84 aircraft accidents in 2026 so far, leaving 25 people dead.
