Ukraine pilot denies responsibility for air show disaster

KIEV – One of the two Ukrainian pilots blamed for causing the world’s
worst air show disaster when their fighter plane plowed into a crowd has dismissed a report that held them responsible for the deaths of 85 people.
The flight “was being conducted over the airfield in accordance with all standards, as we had done during practices,” Volodimir Topanar was quoted as saying by Interfax.
“I received an order to fly over the spectators … (although at first) this was not in the original flight plan,” he said.
On Wednesday, a military investigation concluded that the July 27 disaster, which also injured more than 200 people, was caused by the Su-27 fighter jet’s pilots, who improvised a dangerous aerial stunt.
The two pilots, colonels Volodymyr Toponar and Yury Yegorov, ejected safely before the crash and were hospitalised with spine injuries.
A criminal inquiry has been opened against the two.