Artist's Body Returned
Oliver Tree's body returns to California following fatal helicopter crash in Brazil that killed six.
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The body of singer Oliver Tree Nickell, 32, was returned to California on June 21, nearly a week after a fatal helicopter collision killed him and five others above Rio de Janeiro, NBC News reported. His official social media accounts confirmed the news Sunday afternoon, thanking fans for their support during "these difficult times."
Tree — known for his eccentric persona, the hit "Life Goes On," and over 11 million monthly Spotify listeners — was in Brazil as part of his ambitious global tour when the crash occurred on June 14, NBC News reported. The cause of the collision is still under investigation.
Two Helicopters Collide Over Rio De Janeiro Neighborhood
At around 9:00 AM local time on June 14, two helicopters collided in mid-air over the Recreio dos Bandeirantes neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, according to The Guardian. All six people across both aircraft were killed. One helicopter plunged into a car dealership parking lot, destroying 20 electric vehicles and sparking a massive fire, The Washington Post reported.
Tree had been a passenger in a Bell 206B JetRanger III. Also killed were Argentine YouTuber Gaspar "Gaspi" Prim, 23, Argentine director Lucas Vignale, Brazilian music producer Lucas Frota, and the two pilots, according to The Guardian. An eyewitness told the Associated Press he saw a passenger jump from the falling aircraft in a desperate attempt to survive.
Illegal Air Taxi Operation Now Under Criminal Investigation
The helicopter carrying Tree was registered to a fruit trading company and was not legally allowed to carry paying passengers, The Washington Post reported. The aircraft's owner, Oswaldo de Luca Filho, had already been fined by Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency in 2025 for blocking inspections and failing to provide maintenance records. Authorities are now investigating two companies — STARVIP and Helivip — suspected of marketing the private aircraft as a commercial air taxi.
Brazilian investigators at CENIPA are treating the crash as a systemic failure of aviation oversight. This type of clandestine air service, known in Brazil as TACA — short for Transporte Aéreo Clandestino — has been a recurring safety problem. The crash has triggered a new crackdown on illegal helicopter operations across Rio de Janeiro, according to aviation reports reviewed by researchers.
Tree's Final Days: Soccer, São Paulo, and a World Tour Cut Short
Tree performed his last show in São Paulo on June 6, according to The Los Angeles Times. On June 13 — one day before the crash — he posted a video of himself playing soccer in a local Brazilian neighborhood. It was his last social media update before his death. His "Love You Madly, Hate You Badly" world tour had been designed to hit all seven continents, with more than 70 shows across 30 countries now canceled.
Just days earlier, on June 4, Tree had played a sold-out show in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to The Los Angeles Times. The tour was his most ambitious to date. German producer Robin Schulz, who collaborated with Tree on the song "Miss You," posted online: "You were a one of a kind character... an honor to work with you." Atlantic Records called him "endlessly inventive and a true original," according to SFGATE.
A Legacy Secured: Foundation Honors Young Creators
Tree's body was formally identified by Brazilian forensic teams before the U.S. Embassy in Brazil helped facilitate its return to California on June 20, according to researchers tracking the case. The identification process was difficult — remains were severely burned in the post-crash fire. His family confirmed the repatriation via his official Instagram account on June 21.
In the same announcement, Tree's team confirmed the creation of a memorial foundation called "Dr. Oliver Tree's Extremely Epic Grant For Baby Geniuses," aimed at supporting young artists and creators. Tree, who held a Guinness World Record for the world's largest kick scooter at 4.16 meters tall, was remembered by fans and fellow artists as a singular, irreplaceable figure in alternative pop music, according to The Guardian.
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