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Wreckage of Missing AW109 Helicopter Found in Tuscany

Investigators prioritize a technical malfunction, pending recovery of the aircraft's recorders.

Overview

  • Authorities located the private Agusta/AgustaWestland AW109 on the morning of Nov. 10 in a wooded area near Lake Montedoglio after it vanished the previous day.
  • Rescuers reported the aircraft destroyed and burned, and teams are working to reach the crash site in steep, forested terrain with poor visibility.
  • The two people aboard were identified as Tuscan businessmen Mario Paglicci and Fulvio Casini, according to regional officials.
  • The helicopter departed Venice for the Serristori airfield in Castiglion Fiorentino and lost contact after an in-flight malfunction was reported over Badia Tedalda.
  • A multi-agency search activated by a Cospas-Sarsat distress signal deployed firefighters, Alpine rescue units, military aircraft, drones and canine teams, with weather severely hindering aerial operations.