Tourist helicopter crashes in Rio de Janeiro forest, killing four

A pilot and three passengers were killed when a helicopter crashed in a forested area of Rio de Janeiro on Saturday. Three of the victims are believed to have been Colombian tourists, while identification efforts are continuing.

Scraper SystemAugust 09, 2026, 11:57 AM

Tourist helicopter crashes in Rio de Janeiro forest, killing four

A helicopter operated by a company offering sightseeing flights to tourists in Rio de Janeiro crashed in a forested area near Vista Chinesa on Saturday. The pilot and three passengers were killed in the accident.

The local fire department announced that efforts to identify those killed in the crash had not yet been completed. The wreckage was located in a remote, difficult-to-reach forested area, complicating the teams’ work.

Three victims believed to be Colombian tourists

Colombia’s Consul General in Brazil, Diana Paez, said three of those killed were believed to have been Colombian tourists. Paez said forensic teams were facing difficulties identifying two of the bodies because they had been completely burned.

A fire broke out at the crash site after the accident. Specialist firefighters were dispatched to the area, but the teams struggled to reach the bodies because of the difficult conditions in the forested terrain.

The helicopter crashed near Vista Chinesa, a popular lookout point overlooking the city and the sea.