Italian Chinook helicopter crash in Bosnia triggers multiple investigations

Investigations have been launched into the crash of an Italian CH-47 Chinook helicopter near Brčko, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The incident occurred during an EUFOR Althea international mission training activity, resulting in four deaths and eleven injuries among the fifteen people on board.

The deceased have been identified as Army Sergeants Simone Ruggia and Claudio Marchesi, along with Italian Red Cross Volunteer Corps members Lieutenant Franco Adriano Zecchillo and Sergeant Laura Procacci.

Multiple judicial and technical inquiries are underway. In Rome, the military prosecutor has opened an exploratory proceeding, while the ordinary prosecutor has opened a file for manslaughter. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, authorities have ordered the formation of a specialized aviation accident investigation team.

Preliminary hypotheses being examined include a rotor malfunction that may have caused the aircraft to lose control, or a potential collision with high-voltage power lines, as reported by witnesses who observed the helicopter flying at low altitude before the impact.