British Pilot Escaped Moments Before Helicopter Burst Into Flames in Greece, Uncle Says: He Will Fly Again

British pilot Andrew Hutchinson survived a dramatic accident during firefighting operations in Greece after the helicopter he was flying crashed in a wooded area and then burst into flames.

The 48-year-old was among those who survived the collision of two helicopters, which occurred around 65 kilometers west of Athens. A Danish pilot and a liaison officer from the Greek Fire Service were killed in the accident.

Just seconds before the aircraft was engulfed in flames, Hutchinson and the Greek fire service officer accompanying him managed to escape, according to family members.

The pilot’s uncle, Michael Hutchinson, told The Times that the way his nephew escaped the tragedy was “miraculous.”

“The crash into the woods was severe, but he managed to get out at the last moment. His phone was completely burned because it was left inside the helicopter. He and the officer who was with him escaped only moments before the explosion,” Michael Hutchinson said.

Andrew Hutchinson, a father of three, is receiving treatment at a hospital in Athens. The experienced pilot underwent surgery for a back injury.

His wife, Dawn, and their three children have traveled to the Greek capital to be by his side during his recovery.

Hutchinson works as an aerial firefighter and owns a helicopter company in Northallerton, Yorkshire. He had traveled to Greece to assist efforts to extinguish the major wildfires sweeping the country.

During his long career, he has taken part in specialized aerial operations in various countries around the world, including firefighting, construction and rescue missions. Most recently, he had helped tackle fires in Wales, while he also worked regularly in Australia.

Speaking about his experience and caution while flying, Michael Hutchinson recalled an occasion when his nephew was practicing autorotation, the technique of landing a helicopter without engine power.

“I was with him once when he was learning autorotation, in other words, how to land the helicopter without engine power. He told me, ‘I’m going to switch off the engine.’ I was frightened, but he landed the helicopter perfectly. He has been flying for many years and is an extremely careful pilot,” his uncle said.

The Greek Fire Service said that both helicopters had been leased from the Australian company McDermott Aviation. At the time of the accident, they were helping extinguish a major fire on the border between the regions of Attica and Boeotia.

Despite what happened, the family believes Hutchinson will not give up flying. “No, he won’t stop. Nothing will prevent him from flying again,” his uncle said.