Editing Sknyliv air show disaster (section)

== Aftermath ==
On August 7, an investigation conducted by [[Yevhen Marchuk]], the [[National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine|National Security and Defense]] Secretary, concluded with the pilots receiving a majority of the blame. In a statement, Marchuk accused Toponar and Yegorov of failing "to respect the flight plan and aerial maneuvers". Marchuk also attributed some blame toward the event organizers and scrutinized them for allowing dangerous stunts to be performed in close proximity to spectators.<ref>Ilenko, Zoriana (August 8, 2002). [https://www.newspapers.com/article/national-post-dangerous-stunt-caused-ukr/159055991/ Dangerous stunt caused Ukrainian crash: report]. ''National Post''. Retrieved November 14, 2024.</ref> Toponar rejected Marchuk's findings and claimed that technical issues and a faulty flight plan was what led to the crash.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/article/pacific-daily-news-pilot-says-technical/159066296/ Pilot says technical problems to blame]. ''Pacific Daily News''. August 11, 2002. Retrieved November 14, 2024.</ref> Prior to the incident, he had requested an additional training flight at the airfield where the display was to be performed, but the request was denied.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 8, 2002 |title=Pilots to Blame for Air Show Crash: Top Investigator |url=http://en.people.cn/200208/08/eng20020808_101150.shtml |access-date= |website=[[People's Daily Online]]}}</ref>

[[President of Ukraine|Ukrainian President]] [[Leonid Kuchma]] publicly blamed the military for the disaster and dismissed the head of the air force, General Viktor Strelnykov.<ref>{{Cite news |date=Jul 30, 2002 |title=Ukrainian, Russian papers assess plane crashes |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/not_in_website/syndication/monitoring/media_reports/2160690.stm |accessdate=Mar 14, 2021 |work=BBC News}}</ref> [[Minister of Defense (Ukraine)|Minister of Defense]] [[Volodymyr Shkidchenko]] offered his resignation, but Kuchma rejected it.<ref name="bbc">{{cite news| url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2178539.stm | work=BBC News | title=Ukraine crash report blames pilots | date=7 August 2002}}</ref>

=== Prosecution ===
On 24 June 2005, a [[Court-martial|military court]] sentenced pilot Volodymyr Toponar and co-pilot Yuriy Yegorov to fourteen and eight years in prison, respectively. The court found the two pilots and three other military officials guilty of failing to follow orders, [[negligence]], and violating flight rules. Two of the three officials were sentenced to up to six years in prison; the third received up to four years. Toponar was ordered to pay [[Ukrainian hryvnia|₴]]7.2 million ([[United States dollar|US$]]1.42 million; [[Euro|€]]1.18 million) in compensation to the families, and Yegorov ₴2.5 million. The crew's main flight trainer was [[acquittal|acquitted]] for lack of evidence.<ref name="cnn">{{Cite web |date=Jun 24, 2005 |title=Air show disaster pilots jailed |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/06/24/ukraine.airshow/ |access-date=2023-05-15 |website=[[CNN]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=June 29, 2005 |title=...As Ukraine Pilots Get Jail Time For Air Show Crash |url=https://www.avweb.com/leadnews/as-ukraine-pilots-get-jail-time-for-air-show-crash/ |access-date=2023-05-15 |website=AVweb |language=en-US}}</ref> 

After the verdict was announced, Toponar said that he planned to [[appeal]], insisting that the crash was due to [[Turbine engine failure|technical problems]] and a faulty flight plan. Yegorov was released in 2008 after President [[Viktor Yushchenko]] issued a decree reducing his sentence to three and a half years.<ref name="ukrainian weekly">{{cite news |last=Zawada |first=Zenon |date=19 August 2012 |title=Lviv area residents remember Sknyliv air show disaster of 2002 |volume=LXXX |pages=1,4 |work=[[The Ukrainian Weekly]] |issue=34 |url=http://www.ukrweekly.com/archive/pdf3/2012/The_Ukrainian_Weekly_2012-34.pdf}}</ref>

Near the end of his prison term, Toponar reasserted his innocence in a phone interview. "From the mission briefing it is obvious that the flight area parameters we were given significantly exceeded the safe margin of separation from spectators. What happened is the fault of organizers. Planes must not fly over spectators. During the show, I had to make several advanced maneuvers in a few minutes. During the half-barrel, I noticed decreased thrust of both engines and the airspeed fell. But the cause remains unknown! Ground control ordered us to continue the flight. During the last maneuver—an oblique loop with a turn—the plane became uncontrollable. During the trial they said it was caused by [[pilot error]] due to inexperience. I have 27 years in the cockpit with 2,000 hours [[Flight hours|flying time]]. I was a member of the Ukrainian Falcons… To the last I struggled to lift the plane, [but] copilot Yuriy Yegorov hit the catapult [triggering ejection] and we two ejected with our seats."<ref>{{Cite web |date=20 September 2013 |title=Владимир Топонарь: «За мной вины нет. Меня просто сделали козлом отпущения» |trans-title=Vladimir Toponar: "I am not to blame. They just made me a scapegoat." |url=https://fakty.ua/170017-vladimir-toponar-za-mnoj-viny-net-menya-prosto-sdelali-kozlom-otpucsheniya |access-date=2022-10-20 |website=[[Fakty i Kommentarii]] |language=uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Wrigley |first=Sylvia |date=2016-08-05 |title= Disaster at the Air Show |url= https://fearoflanding.com/history/disaster-at-the-air-show/ |access-date= 2022-10-20 |website=Fear of Landing |language=en-GB}}</ref>