Aircraft crash in Brazil kills famous American singer
American singer Oliver Tree (photo: facebook.com/OliverTreemusic)
Six people were killed in Brazil after a collision between two helicopters, including well-known American singer Oliver Tree and Argentine YouTuber Gaspi, according to France24, CNN Brazil, and the SHOT Telegram channel.
Crash details
The tragedy occurred on Sunday morning, June 14, in the Recreio dos Bandeirantes area in southwestern Rio de Janeiro.
Preliminary data from the fire department says the aircraft collided mid-air and then crashed onto an electric vehicle lot. The impact and subsequent fire triggered a large blaze that destroyed at least 20 vehicles.
Five people were aboard the first helicopter: American signer Oliver Tree Nickell, Argentine blogger Gaspi (Gaspar Prim), two other passengers, and the pilot. Nobody survived.
The second aircraft carried only the pilot, Charles Marsillac, who also suffered fatal injuries. According to relatives, he was a highly experienced aviator.
Fire department spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Fabio Contreiras said the scale of the tragedy could have been much worse.
"Parts of the aircraft are scattered hundreds of meters away, so the information we have is still very preliminary. Given the surrounding residences, the accident could have been far more tragic," he told reporters.
He also added that firefighting efforts were complicated by the fire engulfing electric vehicles equipped with lithium-ion batteries. Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere confirmed that foreign nationals were among the victims. Brazil's Air Force and criminal police are currently conducting forensic examinations and collecting video footage to determine the exact cause of the incident.
Who is Oliver Tree
The 32-year-old American singer and producer Oliver Tree gained global popularity with hits such as Life Goes On and When I'm Down. He had more than 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify and around 20 million followers on social media.
The artist arrived in Rio de Janeiro as part of his world tour. He performed in São Paulo on June 6 and was scheduled to begin the European leg of the tour in July with a show in Portugal. His final Instagram post was published the day before his death, on June 13, showing footage from a music studio.
Aviation accidents worldwide
Notable that several other major aviation incidents have occurred recently around the world. In January 2026, a Beechcraft 1900 aircraft crashed in Colombia with 15 people on board.
The aircraft, which was operating a charter flight for a state carrier, disappeared from radar in a crash near the Venezuelan border in a mountainous and remote area. Reports at the time suggested that local politicians may have been among the victims.
In addition, a major tragedy occurred in Hawaii, where a tourist helicopter crashed on the remote and hard-to-access Kalalau Beach on the island of Kauai. The crash happened in an area with difficult terrain and rapidly changing weather conditions, killing three people on the spot and leaving two others seriously injured.
