…As Ukraine Pilots Get Jail Time For Air Show Crash

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Key Takeaways:

  • The 2002 Lviv, Ukraine air show disaster, the world's worst, killed 77 people when a Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet crashed into the crowd after its pilots ejected.
  • The accident occurred because the pilots attempted a low-level maneuver at an dangerously insufficient altitude.
  • Following the investigation, the jet's pilot was sentenced to 14 years in prison, the co-pilot to 8 years, and three other military personnel also received prison terms.
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When a low-level maneuver went awry during an air show near Lviv, Ukraine, in 2002, the two pilots safely ejected from their Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet, but the uncontrolled jet crashed into the crowd, killing 77 people in the world’s worst-ever air show disaster. Last week, a military court sentenced the jet’s pilot to 14 years in prison, with eight years for the co-pilot, CNN reported. An investigation found the pilots had tried to complete a maneuver at too low an altitude. Three other military personnel involved with the show also got prison terms. More than two dozen children were among the victims of the crash.

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