Pilots get prison terms for deadly air-show crash

Two pilots involved in the world's worst air-show crash, which killed 77 people in Western Ukraine three years ago, were sentenced to prison Wednesday.

Volodimir Toponar was sentenced to 14 years in prison, and his co-pilot Yuri Yegorov was sentenced to eight years. Their Sukhoi Su-27 jet fighter clipped the ground, cartwheeled into the crowd and exploded after the pilots failed to pull out of a difficult rolling dive manoeuvre.

The pilots ejected shortly before the crash which took place at the Sknyliv airfield outside Lviv on July 27, 2002, about 550 kilometres from the capital, Kiev.

An investigating commission blamed the pilots for trying to pull off the stunt at too low an altitude.

The commission also cited the pilots' commanders and show organizers for poor preparations and for failing to ensure safety during the show.

Toponar, who had earlier blamed technical problems and a faulty flight plan for the accident, was also fined $1.42 million US to help pay compensation to victims. Yegorov must pay $500,000 US.

The court also sentenced the commanders of the pilots' unit to six years in prison and the unit's head of flight security to four years. The crew's main flight trainer was acquitted for lack of evidence.