Father of Killed Firefighting Pilot Vows to Avenge Son’s Death

The father of a Greek aerial operations officer who died in Sunday’s fatal firefighting helicopter collision near Psatha has vowed to seek accountability as authorities continue investigating the tragedy.

In a social media post, Georgios Theodoropoulos expressed his grief following the death of his son, who was aboard one of the two Bell helicopters involved in the mid-air collision while fighting a wildfire affecting parts of Attica and Boeotia.

“Today I lost my son in one of the helicopters. He never came home. I will pursue you and f**k you up until I close my eyes. I will keep pursuing you even from my grave,” he wrote.

His comments reflect his personal belief that those responsible should be held accountable. The causes of the accident remain under official investigation.

Questions Raised About Operational Procedures

In an earlier post, Theodoropoulos said the Danish pilot who was killed alongside his son was flying with him for the first time.

“The Danish pilot flew with my son for the first time today. We lost them both,” he wrote.

The father’s comments have prompted public discussion about crew assignments, operational coordination and training procedures during high-risk aerial firefighting missions. However, authorities have not confirmed whether these factors contributed to the collision.

Investigation Ongoing

Following the accident, all Bell firefighting helicopters were temporarily grounded while investigators examine the circumstances of the crash.

The collision occurred during an operation to contain a major wildfire when two helicopters were conducting water drops over the same fire zone. One aircraft made an emergency landing, allowing its British pilot and Greek crew member to escape with minor injuries. The second helicopter crashed, killing the Danish pilot and the Greek aerial operations officer.

The tragedy also renewed attention on an earlier incident in June, when another Bell 214B firefighting helicopter crashed into Lake Aoos during a water pickup operation. Both crew members survived that accident with minor injuries.

Official Findings Pending

Theodoropoulos also shared reports questioning the availability of aerial coordination aircraft during the wildfire response and criticised previous government announcements regarding firefighting resources.

Those claims have not been independently verified, and no official investigation has concluded that equipment availability, aircraft coordination or crew pairing caused the collision.

Greek authorities continue to investigate the accident to determine its cause and whether any operational or technical factors contributed to the fatal crash.

Stay connected to Greek City Times for Free on Google News
Stay updated with the latest news from Greece and around the world on greekcitytimes.com.
Contact our newsroom to share your updates, stories, photos, or videos. Follow GCT on Google News and Apple News.