The District Prosecutor’s Office in Blagoevgrad is conducting pre-trial proceedings into a helicopter accident near the village of Garmen, Southwest Bulgaria, which resulted in the pilot’s death. Three possible causes are being investigated:

1) Temporary loss of orientation due to poor weather conditions such as haze, fog, or low cloud cover;

2) Technical failure, possibly involving the engine or control systems;

3) The pilot’s health deteriorating after takeoff.

Pre-trial proceedings have been initiated for causing death due to ignorance or negligence during an occupation with increased risk. The pilot was conducting aerial spraying of forested areas near Garmen, and he took off in dense fog from the village’s stadium after completing his tasks the previous day.