Five people, all of them Estonian, were killed when the two helicopters collided mid-flight on Saturday, May 17, near the town of Eura in southwest Finland, and Finland's National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is investigating both accidents as cases of negligent homicide and of aggravated endangering of traffic safety, the NBI said in a statement on Monday afternoon.

The eyewitness who reportedly first alerted emergency services about the crash told Yle that after seeing two helicopters flying very closely side-by-side: "Suddenly, one of the helicopters made a quick movement and, just like that, collided with the other. Shortly afterwards, there was a terrible crash. One of the helicopters dropped like a stone, while the other spiraled down."

Finnish investigators say that the flight recorders aboard both craft were badly damaged in the crash.

NBI Detective Superintendent Olli Töyräs, heading up the investigation, stated in a press release that the investigation and communication with the families of the deceased are being carried out "in close cooperation with the Estonian authorities."

Finland's Safety Investigation Authority (Otkes) has also opened an investigation.

Five people died when the two helicopters, both Robinson 44 models, popular with private pilots, collided at an estimated 300 meters, while traveling at an estimated speed of around 200 km/h. The deceased were businessmen Oleg Sõnajalg and Priit Jaagant, Jaagant's wife Lillit, and motorsports competitors Tiit Kuusk and Mihkel Kapp.

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