State Bureau of Investigation finishes Brovary helicopter crash investigation

The State Bureau of Investigation completed its investigation into the Brovary helicopter crash in January that killed 15 people, including Interior Minister Denys Monastyrsky, confirming the conclusions of an initial report in August.

The materials are open for review by involved parties and will be subsequently handed over to the court, the bureau said in a statement on Nov. 27. Foreign experts were also involved in the investigation, including French manufacturers of the helicopter.

In line with earlier findings, the investigators concluded that the helicopter flew in bad weather without a permit and without data on meteorological conditions.

Five officials of the State Emergency Service were arrested in August in connection to the deadly Jan. 18 crash that damaged a local kindergarten.

All 10 people aboard the helicopter, as well as four women and a young child who were on the ground, were killed, the Bureau reported. Some 31 people were injured, including children.

The head of the Emergency Service's Department of Aviation and Air Search and Rescue, its acting commander, the commander of the aviation squadron, the deputy commander for flight training, and the head of the flight safety service of a special aviation unit were charged with safety violations and negligence.

The Aviation and Air Search and Rescue department head and one of the suspects, Ivan Korobka, refuted the accusations.

The suspects face prison terms of up to 10 years.

Read also: How kindergarten morning in Kyiv suburb turned into tragedy

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