Olive Tree: American Singer Identified as First Victim of Helicopter Crash in Brazil that Killed Six as Horrific Video of Crash Emerges

American singer Oliver Tree has been identified as one of the passengers involved in a deadly mid-air helicopter collision that claimed the lives of at least six people. The crash happened in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday afternoon when the helicopters came down in the parking lot of an electric car dealership.

The impact sparked a massive fire that quickly spread, engulfing at least 20 vehicles. Firefighters said early findings suggest the helicopters unexpectedly hit another aircraft mid-air before crashing and killing everyone. Law enforcement confirmed that six people lost their lives, adding that all of those killed were crew members aboard the aircraft involved in the deadly accident.

Killed in Seconds

Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere initially said that one of the helicopters had “foreign nationals on board,” though he did not provide any additional information. Shortly afterward, CNN reported that Tree, the 32-year-old singer known for his hit song Life Goes On, was among those who died in the crash.

The other victims were identified as Gaspar Prim, better known as Argentine YouTuber Gaspi, Lucas Vignale, Lucas Brito Chaves, and pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.

Newly released photos and videos from the scene captured the devastating aftermath, showing the wrecked helicopters scattered across crushed and charred vehicles in the parking lot of the electric car dealership where the crash occurred.

Speaking to CNN Brasil at the scene, fire services spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Fabio Contreiras said investigators were still trying to determine exactly how the tragic accident happened.

“Parts of the aircraft are scattered hundreds of meters away, so the information we have is still very preliminary.

“We really need to get the recordings and videos to understand exactly what happened,” he said.

Contreiras said rescue crews found one of the helicopters engulfed in flames among the electric cars, with the bodies of five victims discovered inside. A second helicopter was located about 330 feet away. According to officials, only the pilot was on board that aircraft, and he also died in the crash.

The accident happened in the suburb of Recreio dos Bandeirantes. Images shared by local media showed thick black smoke billowing above the car dealership as several vehicles burned in the parking lot. Contreiras noted that the location of the crash likely prevented an even greater tragedy. “Given the surrounding residences, the accident could have been far more tragic,” he said.

Bigger Tragedy Avoided

Oliver Tree, a California native from Santa Cruz, built a huge following through his music and got widely recognized for his eccentric fashion choices and distinctive hairstyles. His career took off in 2017 after his song When I’m Down went viral, leading to a record deal with Atlantic Records. He went on to release his debut studio album, Ugly is Beautiful, in July 2020.

Tree later released three more studio albums, with his fourth, Love You Madly Hate You Badly, arriving on April 24, 2026.

His music videos have amassed more than a billion views on YouTube alone. Among his biggest hits on the platform, Life Goes On has been viewed 464 million times, while Miss You has attracted 382 million views.

Less than 24 hours before the tragedy, Tree shared a video on Instagram from Rio de Janeiro featuring Brazilian content creator Iae Break. He captioned the post, “American for the 1st time in Brazil.”

On Sunday afternoon, Break posted a series of photos of himself with Tree and wrote in Portuguese, “I can’t believe you guys are gone.”

As news of the crash spread, tributes from fellow celebrities began pouring in across social media.

“Can’t believe I’m actually having to type this. You’re 32 man. You should still be here. You still had so much life to live. So much music to make,” wrote YouTuber and musician Olajide Olayinka Williams Olatunji, better known online as KSI.

“So much content to make. You’re a legend and will always be a legend. Still doesn’t feel real. Genuinely feel sick. I love you bro,” KSI concluded. The music star’s post included several photos of the two together.

Rapper Lil Yachty, whose real name is Miles Parks McCollum, also paid tribute to Tree on social media. Sharing a photo of the two together on his Instagram Story, he wrote: “Man, rest in peace friend.”