Four killed as Italian CH-47 Chinook crashes in Bosnia
3 min read
An Italian Army CH-47 Chinook operating with the EU peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina has crashed during a training flight, killing four people and injuring 11 others.
The accident occurred near Gorice in the Brčko district and has renewed attention on military helicopter safety as investigators work to establish the cause.
Italian CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashes in Bosnia with 15 onboard
According to Italy’s defence ministry, four were killed, and 11 were injured, none of whom had life-threatening injuries.
Two of those dead were members of the Italian army, and two were part of the Italian Red Cross’ Volunteer Military Corps.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto stated, “At this moment of immense grief, my thoughts go first and foremost to the families of our fallen, to whom I extend my personal condolences and those of the entire Defence establishment.”
Unverified video shared on social media appeared to capture the final moments of the flight.
In respect to the tragic nature of this accident, EUFOR appeals to all citizens to avoid any misinformation regarding this incident, to refrain from any speculation regarding the nationalities and identities of EUFOR personnel involved, and to refer only to official EUFOR channels for verified updates.
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The helicopter had been deployed as part of Operation Althea, a mission run by the European Union Force (EUFOR) that oversees the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement.
The Associated Press states that EUFOR’s 1,200-soldier mission took over from NATO in 2004 to help maintain security and oversee the military provisions of a peace agreement that ended the 1992–95 war.
EUFOR appeals to avoid misinformation about the crash
EUFOR reported it will conduct a “thorough and complete investigation to ascertain the facts which led to this tragic accident.” It will release details as they become available and verified.
In its statement, EUFOR appealed for all to avoid misinformation regarding the incident and “to refrain from any speculation regarding the nationalities and identities of EUFOR personnel involved, and to refer only to official EUFOR channels for verified updates.”
It warns that spreading unverified claims on the identities and nationalities of those involved, along with the circumstances, may lead to “unnecessary public concern.”
The safety record of the CH-47 Chinook
The CH-47 Chinook is among the world’s most widely operated military helicopters. First entering service in the early 1960s, the twin-rotor aircraft is used by armed forces around the world for heavy-lift transport, troop movements and humanitarian support missions.
More than 1,200 Chinooks have been built, with the type remaining in frontline service across Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East.
According to Aviation Safety Network data, 61 CH-47 helicopters have been written off worldwide since 2000, including aircraft lost during military operations. Six of those write-offs have occurred since 2020.
In the US Army, the largest operator of the type, Chinooks flew more than 386,000 flight hours between 2019 and 2020, according to Army safety data. Over that period, the fleet recorded six Class A mishaps, seven Class B mishaps and 34 Class C mishaps.
