Brit pilot’s ‘miraculous’ escape from helicopter crash seconds before explosion killed 2 while battling Greek wildfires

THE family of a British pilot who crashed fighting wildfires in Greece have told of his “miraculous” escape seconds before the helicopter exploded into a huge fireball. Andrew Hutchinson, 48, survived the terrifying mid-air collision between two choppers that killed a Danish pilot and a Greek fire officer near Athens on Sunday. Shocking footage showed the two helicopters colliding Credit: Credit: X/WeatherMonitors Brit pilot Andrew Hutchinson survived the mid-air collision Credit: Northumbria Helicopters One chopper plunged to the ground in a massive fireball Credit: Credit: X/WeatherMonitors Fires have been tearing through Greece and Europe Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Aerial firefighter Hutchinson, who runs a helicopter business in Northallerton, Yorkshire, was helping to extinguish the huge infernos tearing through Greece when he narrowly escaped death. His uncle Michael told The Times: “There’s not many other pilots who could have landed that helicopter without the rotors.” Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! The choppers collided near Psatha, west of Athens, after taking off from the Elefsina military airport. Shocking footage appeared to show one Bell helicopter rising below another before striking its rotor blades. It comes amid deadly wildfires wreaking havoc across Greece Credit: Shutterstock Editorial The rising helicopter burst into a fireball, while the one hovering above was sent descending downwards rapidly. Andrew, who has recently helped tackle flames in Wales and often spends months at a time in Australia helping local authorities, was in the helicopter that caught fire after it had crash landed in a forest. The two victims who died were in the aircraft that exploded immediately upon impact. The collision took place as authorities battled a sprawling wildfire raging along the Attica-Boeotia border last weekend. Most read in The Sun Firefighters work on a burning area near Loumpa, as wildfires hit West Attica, Greece Credit: Reuters Flames rise from the site of a wildfire in Greece on Sunday Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Andrew told his family that he and the Greek fire coordinator travelling with him managed to escape before it went up in flames. His uncle said: “He crashed badly in the wood and managed to get out just in time. “His phone was all burnt up. He left that behind. He and the officer who was with him got out just before the helicopter exploded.” The experienced pilot and dad-of-three is currently recovering from surgery from a back injury and is expected to be flown back to the UK in the near future. Michael said of his nephew: “I was up with him once when he was learning and he performed autorotation [where a helicopter is landed without power]. “He said, ‘I’ll just switch the engine off’. I said ‘what?’ And he came down and landed it with no engine. “He’s been flying helicopters for a long, long time. He’s a really careful lad. He knows what he is doing.” The uncle added: “They have put some plates and pins in his spine. I think they are going to be flying him home shortly.” Andrew has spent years carrying out specialist helicopter work around the world, his family say. He has experience battling wildfires as well as assisting rescue operations and construction projects. Andrew’s wife, Dawn, and their three children have travelled to Athens from their home near Northallerton to be with him. Andrew originally comes from a farming family, but taught himself to fly after deciding one day to take up aviation. Michael said Andrew’s family were concerned for his safety when he took the job up in Greece and were left terrified following last weekend’s ordeal. He said: “Dawn didn’t like him doing this job.” Asked whether the crash make Andrew stop flying altogether, Michael replied: “No. He won’t stop. Nothing would stop him.” It comes amid a spate of deadly wildfires wreaking havoc across Europe – including the UK – as the continent tackles record-breaking heatwaves. Emergency crews are battling wildfires across the popular Greek island of Kefalonia, forcing tourists and locals to evacuate homes and holiday accommodation. Heatwave conditions and gale-force winds have fuelled blazes across the Ionian island, sending thick smoke over holiday regions and putting British travellers on alert. Comment now