In the last 3 years we lost three pilots. That's too many crashes for these years. This is what former Defense Minister Todor Tagarev said about the crash with the training fighter L – 39 ZA, which happened in preparation for the 20th anniversary of our membership in NATO.
Senior Lieutenant Ventsislav Dunkin and Major Petko Dimitrov died during the flight.
"Considering how much is flown in Bulgarian aviation, there are many accidents. We have lost three pilots in recent years. These accidents are too many for 3 years", Tagarev told BNT.
"The problems are of a very different nature. Unfortunately, in the first two cases, the reasons were not clarified in detail, which for me is a rather serious omission. Certainly in the case of 2021, if it turns out that the reason is not technical, then it will be of a human nature. All causes should be worked to be removed, but those that are subjective should certainly be worked on.
According to Tagarev, it is impossible to say from the outside what the cause of the accident is, all possibilities must be investigated.
"Today I watched a video that shows the pilots performing a rather complex maneuver and if we assume that there was no technical error or a collision with a bird, then the question of preparation remains. Was this experience of theirs sufficient for the preparation of the show itself and this flight? It is not known whether they were performing what they were preparing for during the flight, or whether there was any change in what they were performing," the former minister admitted.
In his words, at such a height, a collision with birds is a possibility, but it is extremely rare. "If I was still defense minister, there would be no such show. The Bulgarian aviation is barely able to cope with the minimal tasks it performs, the difficulties are very great and we have nothing to note.
According to the former minister, there are those who want to become pilots, but the question is whether we will give them the proper training that they receive in neighboring countries. Two of our most experienced pilots died yesterday at the Graf Ignatievo Air Base. Their plane crashed during a rehearsal for the air show that was supposed to take place today.
Today is a day of mourning for our Air Force. The Military District Prosecutor's Office and the Military Police are to conduct a second inspection of the accident site. The incident also happened in front of the eyes of the international guests. The plane was last refurbished in June last year – in the Czech Republic. It was fully fitted, technically correct, checked before the actual flight.
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FACTS recalls: Over the past 35 years, the Bulgarian political class has been slowly and with sadistic methodical destruction of the Bulgarian Army and, in particular, the Bulgarian Air Force.
Bulgarian politicians have no right to judge anyone but themselves for Bulgarian soldiers who died in accidents.