Oliver Tree dies in Brazil helicopter crash with five others
Consensus Summary
Oliver Tree, the 32-year-old American musician known for hits like 'Life Goes On' and 'Miss You,' died in a helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro’s western suburb of Recreio dos Bandeirantes on June 14, 2026. The collision between two helicopters killed all six people onboard, including Tree, Argentine YouTuber Gaspar Prim, and four others. One helicopter crashed into a car dealership, igniting a fire that destroyed at least 20 electric vehicles. Both sources confirm the crash occurred mid-air during Sunday morning, with one helicopter carrying five passengers and the other only the pilot. Authorities are investigating the cause, and the badly burned bodies could not be formally identified. Tree, who had over 11 million monthly Spotify listeners, was mid-tour in Brazil and had performed in São Paulo just days earlier. His death marks the end of a career that blended pop music, internet culture, and performance art, with upcoming shows in Australia planned for October 2026.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Oliver Tree, 32, died in a helicopter crash in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on June 14, 2026
- Two helicopters collided mid-air over Rio de Janeiro’s western suburb of Recreio dos Bandeirantes
- All six people onboard both helicopters died in the crash
- One helicopter crashed into a car dealership, igniting a fire that destroyed at least 20 electric vehicles
- Gaspar Prim (Argentine YouTuber 'Gaspi') was among the passengers on the same helicopter as Oliver Tree
- Oliver Tree had over 11 million monthly listeners on Spotify
- The crash occurred on Sunday morning (June 14, 2026)
- One helicopter carried five passengers, the other carried only the pilot
- An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the collision
- Bodies were too badly burned for formal identification at the time of reporting
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Oliver Tree was in Brazil on a world tour and had performed in São Paulo on June 6, 2026
- Tree’s top songs include 'Life Goes On,' 'Miss You,' and 'Alien Boy,' with 'Life Goes On' having over 700 million Spotify plays
- The crash occurred in Rio de Janeiro’s western zone, specifically in Recreio dos Bandeirantes
- The fire was extinguished by Rio de Janeiro’s military fire department
- Oliver Tree was scheduled to tour Australia in October 2026 with shows in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide
- Tree was born Oliver Tree Nickell in Santa Cruz, California, on June 29, 1993
- He began self-releasing music under the pseudonym 'Tree' in 2010 and released his debut EP, *Demons*, in 2013
- Tree signed to Atlantic Records in 2017 after his collaboration 'When I’m Down' with Whethan went viral
- His debut album *Ugly Is Beautiful* was released in 2020, and he broke the Guinness World Record for the largest kick scooter in 2020
- Tree’s albums include *Shorter, Thicker & Uglier* (2021), *Cowboy Tears* (2022), *Alone In A Crowd* (2023), and *Love You Madly, Hate You Badly* (2026)
- He performed at Australian festivals including Laneway Festival (2020), Splendour In The Grass (2022), Yours & Owls (2023), and Party In The Paddock (2025)
- Tree shared a video on Instagram playing football in a Brazilian neighborhood on June 14, 2026, the day of the crash
- Passengers included Argentine video director Lucas Vignale, Brazilian DJ/producer Lucas Brito Chaves, and pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The Guardian does not mention Oliver Tree’s scheduled Australian tour in October 2026, while ABC explicitly states it
- The Guardian lists 'Alien Boy' as one of Tree’s top songs, while ABC does not include it in its list of his most popular tracks
- ABC provides a detailed birthdate (June 29, 1993) and early career timeline for Tree, which the Guardian does not include
Source Articles
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