Two crew killed as British pilot survives after firefighting helicopters collide in Greece - BBC
Source: BBC News
Two crew members died and two others survived after a mid-air collision between firefighting helicopters in Greece on Sunday. The victims were a Danish pilot and a Greek fire service liaison officer. A British pilot and a Greek coordinator aboard the second helicopter escaped with minor injuries. Video footage captured one Bell helicopter striking the rotors of the other, causing it to burst into flames and crash into a ravine approximately 65 kilometres west of Athens.
The two Bell helicopters were leased from Australian company McDermott Aviation and were working to combat a large wildfire burning along the Attica-Boeotia border. Rescuers reached the crash site after the two survivors immediately radioed in, guiding emergency teams to the location. The crew of one aircraft were recovered unconscious and later pronounced dead, while those aboard the second helicopter landed safely and were admitted to hospital for observation.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis expressed his deepest sorrow over the tragedy, stating that the deaths of the Danish pilot and Greek coordinator 'fills us all with grief.' He extended his condolences to the victims' families. Following the incident, all Bell helicopters operating across Greece were grounded as a precautionary measure per standard protocol, according to a source from the civil protection ministry.
McDermott Aviation founder John McDermott confirmed that his company is cooperating fully with authorities conducting the investigation. He offered his deepest condolences to the families of those affected. The British survivor was identified as a private pilot contracted specifically for the wildfire season, with no formal bilateral exchange or assistance request involved between the United Kingdom and Greece.
Wildfires have devastated multiple European countries this week amid prolonged heatwaves. Massive blazes near Madrid and Bordeaux have now been largely contained, and around 300,000 evacuated residents have begun returning home. In Greece, other aerial assets including Erickson Air-Crane helicopters, Chinooks, and Canadair water-bombing aircraft continue firefighting operations as authorities work to bring the remaining fires under control.
Traduction japonaise
ギリシャで日曜日、山火事の消火活動中だったヘリコプター2機が空中衝突し、乗員2名が死亡、2名が生存した。犠牲者はデンマーク人パイロットとギリシャ消防当局の連絡担当官。第2機に搭乗していた英国人パイロットとギリシャ人調整役は軽傷で生還した。映像には、一方のベル・ヘリコプターがもう一機のローターに接触し、炎上して峡谷に墜落する様子が捉えられている。
2機のベル・ヘリコプターはオーストラリアのマクダーモット・アビエーション社からリースされ、アッティカ・ボイオティア州境付近の大規模山火事の消火活動に当たっていた。生存した2名が直ちに無線で状況を報告し、救助隊を墜落現場へ誘導した。一方の機体の乗員は意識不明の状態で発見され、その後死亡が確認された。もう一方の機体は緊急着陸に成功し、乗員は病院に搬送された。
ギリシャのミツォタキス首相はこの悲劇に対し深い悲しみを表明し、デンマーク人パイロットとギリシャ人調整役の死は「私たち全員の悲しみ」だと述べ、遺族に哀悼の意を示した。事故を受け、市民保護省の情報筋によれば、標準的なプロトコルに従い、ギリシャ全土で運用中のベル・ヘリコプターがすべて予防措置として飛行停止となった。
マクダーモット・アビエーション社の創業者ジョン・マクダーモット氏は、当局の調査に全面的に協力することを表明し、被害を受けたすべての関係者の家族に深い哀悼の意を示した。生還した英国人パイロットは山火事シーズンのために個人契約されたパイロットであり、英国とギリシャ間の正式な二国間支援協定とは無関係であることが確認されている。
今週、欧州各地では長期化する熱波の影響で山火事が相次いだ。マドリード近郊とボルドー近郊で発生した大規模火災はほぼ鎮圧され、避難していた約30万人の住民が帰宅を始めている。ギリシャでは、エリクソン・エアクレーンやチヌーク・ヘリコプター、カナデアの空中消火機などが引き続き消火活動を続けており、当局は残る火災の制圧に向けて取り組んでいる。
Vocabulaire clé
- mid-air collisionnoun
An accident in which two aircraft strike each other while both are airborne.
和訳: 空中衝突
Investigators are working to determine the cause of the mid-air collision between the two training jets.
- liaison officernoun
An official who acts as a communication link between different organizations or units, facilitating coordination.
和訳: 連絡担当官
The liaison officer ensured that information flowed smoothly between the military command and civilian authorities.
- pronounced deadphrase
Formally declared to have died, typically by a medical professional after examination.
和訳: 死亡が確認された
The paramedics worked for nearly an hour before the patient was pronounced dead at the scene.
- groundedadjective
Prohibited from flying; said of aircraft that have been officially prevented from operating, usually for safety or regulatory reasons.
和訳: 飛行停止にされた
The entire fleet was grounded pending a thorough safety inspection after the incident.
