Human error caused fatal helicopter collision near Eura, investigators say

Human error caused the collision between two helicopters near Eura in May 2025, an investigation released Tuesday found, Yle reported. Five people died in the crash.

The helicopters had flown from Estonia and collided near Eura airport. Witness Antti Marjanen was doing yard work when he heard one helicopter approaching from the direction of Säkylä. He then saw a second helicopter flying alongside it.

Marjanen said the aircraft were unusually close together. One suddenly changed direction and collided with the other, which fell “like a stone”, he recalled. He was shocked by what he saw and immediately called the emergency services.

Antti Halme, an on-duty fire chief at the Satakunta Rescue Department, was working in the operations centre when the alert came shortly after noon. The rescue service located the rising smoke from the air and began a search. The helicopters and the five people on board were found in dense woodland.

Halme said it quickly became clear that the situation was no longer a rescue operation. One helicopter caught fire on the ground, destroying its fuselage. Investigators found no technical fault in either helicopter that could have caused the crash.