Oliver Tree | Fatal helicopter collision over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Source: Getty Images | x/Breaking911
American Singer Oliver Tree, 32, Among 6 Dead in Rio Helicopter Collision — Here’s What We Know
The American singer was among six people killed in a helicopter collision in Brazil. His final social media posts, a recent interview, and a tribute from an ex-girlfriend offer a closer look at the days before the crash.
Oliver Tree had just announced what he described as the biggest tour of his career. In the days before the crash, he shared social media updates, appeared in a recording studio session, and remained active in the public eye.
Now, the 32-year-old musician is among six people confirmed dead after two helicopters collided over Rio de Janeiro on Sunday morning, June 14, 2026.
As investigators work to determine what caused the collision, videos from the scene, Tree’s final social media posts, and eyewitness accounts have begun shedding light on the events leading up to the crash.
An aerial view shows burned vehicles at a car dealership in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 14, 2026, after a helicopter crashed into the parking lot following a midair collision. | Source: Getty Images
The Scenes from the Ground Revealed How Close the Crash Came to a Packed Vehicle Lot
As shared by Breaking911 on X, the first video from the scene showed what initially appeared to be an ordinary parking lot filled with rows of vehicles.
Then the smoke came into view. A massive black plume rose from the center of the lot and towered over the surrounding neighborhood. Below it, bright orange flames burned between tightly packed vehicles.
The footage showed the crash unfolding in a densely developed area lined with businesses, roads, and residential buildings.
Investigators examined burned cars at the crash site after one of the helicopters crashed into a storage yard in Rio de Janeiro. Authorities said the impact sparked a fire that spread through the lot and damaged multiple vehicles. | Source: Getty Images
According to CNN Brazil, citing preliminary information from firefighters, the helicopters collided in midair before crashing in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, a neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro’s western zone.
One of the aircraft came down in a vehicle storage yard operated by a BYD dealership on Avenida das Américas. The impact sparked a fire that spread through the lot, setting roughly 20 vehicles ablaze.
BYD later expressed condolences to the victims’ families and said it was cooperating with authorities as the investigation continued. A second video captured what the scene looked like from a much closer range.
Emergency crews and investigators surveyed the damage after the helicopters crashed into a vehicle yard in Rio de Janeiro. Authorities said the impact sparked a fire that spread to about 20 cars. | Source: Getty Images
The footage showed a man wearing a green shirt and black shorts running toward the wreckage with a fire extinguisher. As he approached, debris lay scattered across the ground, while part of the helicopter’s frame appeared twisted and partially collapsed.
Without hesitation, he began spraying the wreckage as thick white smoke poured into the air.
The clip lasted only a few seconds, but it offered a closer look at the destruction left behind by the collision before emergency crews fully secured the area.
Brazil’s Air Force, through its Center for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA), launched an investigation into the collision.
Investigators from the agency’s Third Regional Service for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (SERIPA III) were dispatched to the scene to collect evidence and document the damage.
Authorities later confirmed that all six people aboard the helicopters died, including Tree. While investigators continued examining the circumstances surrounding the crash, attention soon turned to the singer’s final posts from Brazil.
An aerial view shows emergency crews at the crash site in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 14, 2026. Authorities said six people were killed after two helicopters collided over the city. | Source: Getty Images
The Final Hours Before the Collision Looked Completely Ordinary
Less than a day before the crash, Tree reshared an Instagram Story from a recording session with singer Liu that gave little indication of what would follow. Large text across the image read: “STUDIO TIME.”
The photo showed Tree standing alongside three other people inside what appeared to be a recording studio. He wore his signature bowl-cut hairstyle, dark sunglasses, and a bright yellow jersey.
Oliver Tree attends the premiere of “Paradise Records” during the 2025 Tribeca Festival in New York City. Authorities said the American singer was among six people killed in a helicopter collision over Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. | Source: Getty Images
Behind the group, acoustic wooden sound panels lined the walls, while a music sticker displayed “Miss You,” his collaboration with Robin Schulz.
One person smiled while making a shaka hand gesture toward the camera, while another posed beside Tree beneath a heart-hands emoji. The image captured what appeared to be a routine moment during a studio session.
At the bottom of the Story, the accounts @OLIVERTREE, @IAMLUCASFROTA, and @WAOOFFICIAL were tagged.
Tree appeared relaxed during a studio session he reshared to Instagram less than a day before the crash. At the time, he was continuing to post about music and travel, with no public indication of the tragedy that would follow. | Source: Instagram/liulive
According to the Associated Press (AP), Tree performed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on June 4 and published a video on Instagram on Saturday showing himself playing soccer in a Brazilian neighborhood.
Together, the posts showed him spending time in the studio, traveling, and preparing for future projects. Nothing in them suggested they would become some of the final public glimpses of the singer before the collision.
The Plans Oliver Tree Had Just Set in Motion
Those plans had become significantly larger only weeks earlier. On May 3, Tree announced his first world tour.
The promotional image showed him standing atop the Great Wall of China surrounded by famous landmarks from around the world. The Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Christ the Redeemer, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa all appeared in the background.
Tree performs at Coachella in April 2026, one of several major appearances before his trip to South America. At the time, he was continuing to promote new music and upcoming performances. | Source: Getty Images
Across the top of the image, large text reads, “WORLD’S FIRST WORLD TOUR.” Below it sat a lengthy list of tour dates spanning several countries. In the caption, Tree wrote:
“I’m going on ‘The World’s First World Tour’ playing shows on all 7 continents this year. 30+ countries. 70+ shows. Biggest tour of my life.”
According to the schedule, his next major European performances were set to begin in Portugal in July. The announcement reflected a musician entering one of the busiest periods of his career.
But another recent appearance now provides a different perspective on how Tree viewed the future.
The Unusual Decision Tree Revealed in His Final Interview
In April, only weeks before the crash, Tree appeared on “The Zach Sang Show.” During the conversation, he spoke candidly about mortality, success, and the legacy he hoped to leave behind.
Tree sat on a cream-colored couch wearing bright green face paint and a dark wig styled in his trademark bowl cut. The look appeared to reference Shrek, reflecting the playful and unconventional persona he often incorporated into public appearances.
During the interview, he revealed, “My will is set up that when I pass, my family — no one’s gonna get a penny.”
Tree discussed his legacy and future plans during an April 2026 appearance on “The Zach Sang Show.” The interview later drew attention after news of the crash. | Source: Getty Images
Tree later explained the reasoning behind the decision.
“The idea is when I die, all of the money is gonna go back to artists. So I’ve set up a foundation, it’s called Dr. Oliver Tree’s Art Grants for Baby Geniuses.”
During an April 2026 appearance on “The Zach Sang Show,” Tree discussed plans for a foundation that would support artists after his death. | Source: YouTube/Zach Sang Show
He said the foundation would be funded largely through income generated by his music catalog. Tree also reflected on how he viewed ownership and success. He added:
“So I take no credit for anything I’ve ever done. But I want to say this furthermore, I don’t believe that any of the wealth or the things that get made from it, is mine.”
Tree speaks during an April 2026 appearance on “The Zach Sang Show.” The interview later drew renewed attention following his death in a helicopter collision in Brazil. | Source: YouTube/zachsangshow
After news of his death broke, many viewers returned to the interview and reflected on those remarks in the comments section. One viewer wrote, “Every album could be my last I could die tomorrow.”
Others reacted similarly. “Crazy for him to say every album could be his last. Unfortunately this is it,” one commenter wrote. Another added, “Him talking about his will hits hard. He had no idea that he would pass so soon. RIP OLIVER TREE.”
While fans revisited the interview, those who knew Tree personally shared tributes of their own. One of the most personal came from an ex-girlfriend, whose message focused on the person she knew beyond the public image.
What Tree’s Ex-Girlfriend Wanted People to Remember About Him
Among the many messages shared after the tragedy, one stood out because it focused on the person behind Tree’s public persona.
The Instagram Story, shared by singer Melanie Martinez, featured a pale green heart-shaped object wrapped in a translucent white ribbon. Over the image, she reflected on the shock of losing someone who had played an important role during a formative period of her life.
Martinez later paid tribute to Tree on Instagram, remembering his creativity, humor, and the impact he had on the people who knew him. | Source: Getty Images
Rather than focusing on Tree’s career accomplishments, she remembered his humor, creativity, and ability to inspire others. She also reflected on the curiosity, warmth, and sense of wonder that she believed shaped both his work and the way he connected with people.
The tribute ended with a farewell message to Tree, imagining him continuing the same playful spirit that had become one of his defining traits.
While Martinez’s tribute continued to spread online, one witness’s account raised new questions about what happened after the helicopters collided.
Martinez shared this tribute after news of the crash broke, remembering Tree for his creativity, kindness, and contagious sense of humor. | Source: Instagram/littlebodybigheart
What One Person Claimed to See Before the Helicopter Hit the Ground
Fernandes de Freitas, a tire repair worker, told the AP that he witnessed the collision from the ground. According to De Freitas, one of the helicopters was already engulfed in flames after the impact.
He said that as he continued watching the aircraft, he saw one of the passengers appear to jump from the second helicopter before it struck the ground. “It was terrifying, absolutely horrifying,” he said.
Authorities said five more victims were aboard one helicopter, while the second aircraft was carrying only its pilot.
Investigators documented the damage from above after the helicopters crashed into a vehicle yard in Rio de Janeiro. The collision left burned vehicles and debris scattered across the scene. | Source: Getty Images
Authorities identified the other victims as Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim Díaz, Lucas Brito Chaves, and pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.
Prim, known online as Gaspi, was a popular Argentine content creator with more than 2.8 million YouTube subscribers. Following his death, the Argentine streaming channel Blender remembered him as a creative and talented artist whose work and personality had a lasting impact on colleagues, friends, and fans.
The bodies were later taken to the Afrânio Peixoto Forensic Medical Institute in downtown Rio de Janeiro.
Investigators from Brazil’s Air Force, police, and aviation authorities have not yet announced what caused the helicopters to collide. As authorities work to determine what happened, Tree is being remembered not only for his music but also for the creativity, humor, and generosity that friends and collaborators described in the days after his death.
