Two people were killed on Saturday when a Robinson R44 Clipper II helicopter (reg. F-HEAT) crashed near the village of Malawa, close to Rzeszów in southeastern Poland, according to the state fire service.
Two men were killed on Saturday afternoon when a Robinson R44 helicopter crashed and burst into flames in a remote forested area near the village of Cierpisz, close to Rzeszów in southeastern Poland. Emergency services received the first report shortly before 16:00, alerting them to a downed aircraft in difficult-to-access terrain between the Rzeszów and Lancut counties.
Firefighters, medics and police officers were dispatched immediately, but the location—deep in the woods and shrouded in dense fog—made access challenging. Crews used quad bikes and specialist drone units to reach the wreckage, extinguish the fire and secure the scene. “I can confirm that a helicopter has crashed. Unfortunately, two people are dead,” said Captain Dubiel of the Provincial Fire Service Command in Rzeszów.
Police later confirmed that the victims were the two men onboard the privately owned Robinson R44, which had been seen earlier in the day at Krosno Airport and photographed shortly before departure at around 15:00. Investigators from the Rzeszów Municipal Police Headquarters, working under the supervision of the district prosecutor, have begun examining the site. The State Commission on Aircraft Accident Investigation (PKBWL) has also been notified and will conduct a full inquiry into the cause of the crash.
Fog in the area significantly reduced visibility throughout the evening, prompting authorities to block a nearby municipal road and urge the public to avoid the site so as not to obstruct rescue and investigative teams. Firefighters deployed fifteen units along with a specialist drone group to search the vicinity and confirm that no additional passengers had been onboard.
The precise cause of the crash remains unknown. Investigators are now analysing GPS data, flight logs and evidence recovered from the scene as part of an ongoing probe into the fatal accident.
W okolicach Malawy pod Rzeszowem rozbi? si? ?mig?owiec Robinson R44. Na miejscu pracuj? s?u?by? Wed?ug wst?pnych informacji prywatny helikopter wykonuj?cy lot niekomercyjny spad? w lesie w okolicach Malawy – twierdz? ?wiadkowie zdarzenia https://t.co/UaqJTEEWiX pic.twitter.com/7KhI3hHeuR
— Danuta Wioletta (@DanutaWioletta) November 29, 2025