The air traffic accidents investigation committee’s report is expected to shed light on the causes of the helicopter crash and plunge into the sea on Tuesday in the sea channel between Galata and Poros that resulted in the death of three persons.

The results of the investigation will be sent for evaluation to the Civil Protection Agency.

According to the committee the procedure is at an early stage; however, sources cited engine failure as the initial cause, which led to the helicopter’s hitting the Public Power Corporation’s (PPC) electricity lines, before an explosion sent the helicopter into the sea.

Meanwhile, the investigation committee confirmed the existence of an earlier letter to the local authorities and to the electricity network operator (DEDDIE) asking for the placement of special signs on the PPC lines in order to make them visible to pilots and underlining the risk of a crash.

The helicopter plunged into the sea channel after apparently hitting power lines off Poros, killing two Russian passengers and its Greek pilot and wiping out power on the island.

It was a privately owned aircraft by iFly, based in Pachi near the Megara area which was leased by the Russian passengers.