The State Bureau of Investigation has begun decrypting the aircraft's black boxes as part of the investigation into the plane crash in Zhytomyr Region, said SBI Communications Advisor Tetiana Sapian during a telethon.
"The Air Force headquarters will conduct an internal investigation into why this incident occurred during the departure of combat training aircraft. It is also known that the decryption of black boxes has begun. Particular attention will be paid to the operation of some aircraft mechanisms, i.e. technical characteristics," Sapian said.
According to her, eight examinations have begun. They are supposed to determine the cause of the crash: whether it was caused by a malfunction of the aircraft, a pilot error, or a violation in the organisation of flights.
"We are waiting for the start of forensic examinations. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing. The SBI will conduct a thorough check to establish all the causes of this tragedy," the spokeswoman said.
Regarding the timing of the investigation, she noted that law enforcement officers have a long and laborious process ahead of them. Sapiyan also reminded that in the case of the January plane crash that killed the leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, "only in early August this year the results of both the examinations and the pre-trial investigation were made public."
A plane crash occurred in the Zhytomyr Region on 25 August: the crews of two L-39 combat trainer aircraft collided in the sky while performing a combat mission. Three pilots died. Among the dead was a well-known pilot of the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade with the call sign "Juice". "Juice" (Andriy Pilshchikov) has been defending Ukrainian skies since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. He served as a MiG-29 fighter pilot and participated in the defence of Kyiv.
On 29 August, a farewell to pilot Andriy Pilshchykov "Juice" was held at the Patriarchal Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ of the UGCC in Kyiv.