did oliver tree die: Oliver Tree death: All about American alt-pop singer who dies after two helicopters collided mid-air in Brazil

American alternative pop singer and internet star Oliver Tree was in one of two helicopters that collided mid-air in Brazil, killing six people, a police source told AFP. The alternative singer and internet personality was listed as one of six people on a plane manifest shared by the source, who said the victims have yet to be officially identified as they were badly burned in the crash.

Firefighters said the helicopters collided in the air Sunday morning in Rio de Janeiro’s western suburb of Recreio dos Bandeirantes, then crashed into the parking lot of an electric car dealership, setting fire to about 20 cars.

One of the helicopters had 5 people, and the other had only the pilot. There were no survivors. Among the passengers on the same helicopter as Tree was Gaspar Prim, a Brazilian music producer, Argentinian video director, and Argentinian YouTuber known online as “Gaspi.”

Oliver Tree

With his distinctive bowl haircut and eccentric, meme-worthy internet persona, Tree, 32, was known for hits such as “Life Goes On,” “Miss You” and “Alien Boy.” He has over 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify and his top songs have been streamed over 700 million times.

Recently, his Instagram account included videos of him in Brazil, where he performed in Sao Paulo on June 6, during his tour covering more than 30 countries. His next show was scheduled for July 1 in Lisbon.
Helicopters Collided

Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere had previously said there were “foreign nationals on one of the planes”, without providing further details.

The Burger King employee said that while he was at work he “heard a really loud explosion, the store was really shaking.” He saw helicopter parts “flying in all directions” after the crash.

Fire department spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Fabio Contreiras told CNN Brazil at the scene that it was unclear exactly how the accident occurred.

“Parts of the plane are scattered hundreds of meters away, so the information we have is still preliminary,” he said. “We really need recordings and videos to fully understand what happened.”

Contreiras said rescuers found a helicopter engulfed in flames among electric vehicles and had five people inside.

The second helicopter, located about 100 meters away, was carrying only the pilot, and the pilot also died.

“Considering the surrounding residences, the accident could have been much more tragic,” Contreiras said.

He highlighted the challenges of fighting fires affecting electric vehicles containing lithium-ion batteries.

“When this type of battery catches fire, it releases highly toxic gases, intensifying both the heat and the intensity of the fire. Extinguishing a fire in one of these vehicles requires three to four times the water required for a standard car fire.”

Small plane accidents are common in Brazil, the fifth largest country in the world. Last month, a small plane crashed into the side of a building in the southeastern city of Belo Horizonte, killing the pilot and co-pilot.

According to statistics from the Center for the Investigation and Prevention of Aviation Accidents (CENIPA), there have been 84 plane crashes and 25 deaths so far in 2026 – excluding this latest crash.