On Saturday, 17 May 2025, two Robinson R44 Raven light helicopters that had taken off from Tallinn collided near Eura Airport in Satakunta Province in western Finland. According to preliminary information, all five people on board were killed in the crash: two in one helicopter and three in the other. This was reported by the Estonian National Broadcasting portal ERR, citing the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Finnish public broadcaster Yle, in turn, confirmed the information, citing local rescue services and the police.

The incident occurred at around 12:30 local time in a wooded area near Eura Airfield. According to ADS-B flight tracking service, the helicopters were flying parallel at an altitude of around 300 meters, heading towards Piikajärvi Airfield in the town of Kokemäki. Suddenly, both aircraft disappeared from radar. After the collision, one of the helicopters caught fire, and its wreckage was found by rising smoke. The second helicopter crashed about 100 meters from the first. Rescue services, police and ambulances quickly arrived at the scene, but, as Yle reported, after 15:00, two ambulances left the scene with their sirens turned off, indicating that there were no survivors.

Finnish police confirmed that one of the helicopters was registered in Estonia (ES-ETR, owned by NOBE OÜ), and the other in Austria (OE-XOS, owned by Eleon RND OÜ). The Finnish Central Criminal Police is investigating the cause of the crash. According to preliminary information, the cause could have been a collision with an advertising billboard erected for a local exhibition, but the exact circumstances have not yet been established. The Finnish Ministry of Defence stressed that the incident was not related to military equipment or the exercises that took place in the region in early May.

The director of the consular assistance department of the Estonian Foreign Ministry, Margus Särglepp, whose words are quoted by ERR, confirmed the death of all those on board, but did not disclose their identities, noting that they are being clarified. Estonian media, citing their own sources, reported that among the dead were well-known Estonian entrepreneurs: Priit Jaagant, chairman of the board of the construction company Mapri Ehitus, his wife Lilit Jaagant, and businessman Oleg Sõnajalg, associated with the company Eleon RND OÜ. Mapri Ehitus issued an official statement in which it expressed grief over the death of Jaagant and his wife, calling them "outstanding leaders and invaluable team members." In the first hours after the disaster, erroneous information appeared in the media about the possible death of another well-known Estonian businessman, Oleg Gross, but he personally denied these rumors, stating that he was safe.

An eyewitness to the tragedy, Kauttua resident Antti Marjanen, told Yle that he saw two helicopters flying close to each other. According to him, he did not notice the moment of impact, but heard a loud noise, after which there was silence. Another witness reported a "strange roar" that preceded the helicopters crashing. Journalists were not allowed to the scene of the accident, and police restricted access to the area to ensure the work of rescue services and investigators.

The Robinson R44 Raven is a four-seat light helicopter manufactured by the American company Robinson Helicopter since 1992. Since 1999, it has been considered the best-selling general-purpose helicopter in the world. Despite its popularity, the model has a history of accidents related to low-altitude flights, collisions with obstacles, and piloting errors.