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Oliver Tree Returned to California After Fatal Helicopter Collision in Rio

Brazilian aviation investigators are still recovering flight recorders and reviewing whether pilot or air‑traffic controller error caused the June 14 crash.

Overview

  • Two helicopters collided over Rio de Janeiro on June 14, killing six people on board; Oliver Tree’s team announced on social media that his body has been returned to California.
  • Police have identified the five other victims as Gaspar Prim Díaz (Gaspi), Lucas Vignale, Lucas Brito, Charles Marsillac and Alexandre Souza.
  • Brazil’s CENIPA and regional SERIPA teams, together with local police and fire crews, are leading an active probe that is prioritizing flight‑recorder and video recovery.
  • Tree’s family and team thanked fans for support and said an endowment he had planned, called 'Dr. Oliver Tree’s Extremely Epic Grant For Baby Geniuses,' will move forward as his legacy.
  • Officials say the crash ignited fires that complicated rescue and forensic work, investigators are using wide circulation of social videos and eyewitness accounts for evidence, and the outcome could affect how local air operations and safety reviews proceed.