Lucrezia Ciotti The bodies of the four Italian soldiers killed in the crash of an Army helicopter in Bosnia are expected to arrive at Ciampino Airport around noon today, November 2nd. After returning to Italy, the coffins will be transferred to the Celio Military Hospital, while preparations for the victims' final farewells are underway in Rome.
Chinook crash investigations look at technical failures and human error
As Italy prepares to bid farewell to the four soldiers , investigations continue to reconstruct the causes of the accident . Three investigations are underway , including that of the Bosnian authorities, while two separate legal proceedings are underway in Rome. The ordinary prosecutor's office is investigating charges of manslaughter and negligent disaster against unknown persons, while the military prosecutor's office, led by Marco De Paolis, has initiated an investigation into the military crime of negligent loss.
EUFOR has also announced an in-depth investigation to shed light on the incident. Investigators are focusing on the helicopter wreckage, analyzing the black box, and hearing survivors' testimonies , which are crucial to reconstructing the final moments of the flight. A commission of Italian Defense experts is also working in Bosnia, conducting technical surveys and gathering testimonies.
Among the hypotheses being considered is a sudden failure , possibly related to the rotation system or the cabin pedals, but the possibility of human error has not been ruled out . Technical examinations will provide more precise information. From the hospital in Tuzla, Lieutenant Colonel Flavio Favari, the only survivor of the Red Cross medical team, described the violence of the impact: " It's a miracle I'm still alive. I only remember that it was a matter of a second, a very violent impact ."
Bosnia: The bodies of four Italian soldiers are expected to be returned today, with the bodies expected at Ciampino Airport.
The coffins of the four Italian soldiers who died in the crash of an Army helicopter in Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday, October 29, are expected to arrive at Ciampino Airport today, Monday, November 2, around 12:00 p.m. Sergeants Simone Ruggia and Claudio Marchesi , serving in the Army Aviation, and Franco Adriano Zecchillo and Laura Procacci , respectively a lieutenant and a sergeant in the Italian Red Cross Volunteer Military Corps, are expected to die.
The aircraft, a CH-47 Chinook belonging to the 1st Army Aviation Regiment "Antares" from Viterbo, was engaged in the international EUFOR Althea mission when it crashed in the Gorica area, near Brčko. There were 15 people on board: in addition to the four victims, 11 others were injured.
According to reports, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto are expected to receive the bodies at Ciampino Airport . The bodies will then be transferred to the Celio military hospital, where a funeral chapel is planned.