On Saturday (May 17), two helicopters collided and crashed in the skies above a forest near Eura Airport in southwestern Finland, resulting in the deaths of five individuals. The police stated that the mid-air collision occurred shortly after noon near Kauttua, with the wreckage falling approximately 700 meters from the Ohikulkutie highway.
The National Bureau of Investigation Detective Inspector Johannes Siirilä said, “On Saturday, a helicopter accident near Eura Airport resulted in the deaths of five individuals.”
According to the authorities, one helicopter was carrying two people while the other was carrying three, as per their flight plans. Both helicopters were registered outside of Finland.
Reports from the Estonian Public Broadcasting Company (ERR) citing the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat indicated that one helicopter was registered in Estonia and the other in Austria, both owned by Estonian companies – NOBE and Eleon. Among the passengers were two prominent Estonian entrepreneurs.
During a press conference, the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that there were no survivors in this incident.
The Pori Aviation Club mentioned that the helicopters were en route to participate in an amateur aviation event at the time of the collision, as reported by Yle News.
Iltalehti, a Finnish newspaper, reported eyewitnesses saying that one of the helicopters plummeted rapidly like a stone after the collision, while the other descended at a slower pace, with no sounds heard.
The National Bureau of Investigation is conducting a joint investigation with local authorities, with cooperation from Estonian authorities.