Five people were killed on Saturday when two helicopters collided mid-air and crashed near Eura Airport in southwestern Finland, authorities confirmed.
The accident occurred shortly after noon near the town of Kauttua, with wreckage scattered approximately 700 meters from Ohikulkutie Road, police said.
"Five people have died in a helicopter accident near Eura Airport on Saturday," said Detective Chief Inspector Johannes Siirilä of Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
According to flight plans, one helicopter carried three occupants, while the other had two on board. Police confirmed both aircraft were registered outside Finland—one in Estonia and the other in Austria, according to Estonian Public Broadcasting (ERR), citing Finland’s Helsingin Sanomat. Both helicopters were reportedly owned by Estonian companies: one by NOBE and the other by Eleon.
The helicopters had departed from Tallinn, Estonia, and were en route to Piikäjärvi Airport in Kokemäki, about 15 kilometers from Eura Airport, for a hobby aviation event, Finnish broadcaster Yle reported.
Authorities were alerted to the crash at 12:35 p.m. local time Rescue teams and police patrols secured the wooded crash site, where the two helicopters were found roughly 100 meters apart. Roads near the airport were temporarily closed as investigators examined the scene.
The NBI is leading the inquiry with support from local police and Estonian officials. While the cause remains unclear, Iltalehti quoted a witness who claimed the helicopters collided during a maneuver.
Finnish and Estonian authorities emphasized close cooperation in the ongoing investigation.