Russia denies Brazil's participation in investigation of Prigozhin's plane crash
Russia has informed the Brazilian aviation accident investigation authority that so far, the latter will not investigate the crash of a Brazilian-made plane which killed Yevgeny Prigozhin, financier of the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC), as they are normally allowed under international rules.
Source: Reuters, citing Brazil’s Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Centre (CENIPA)
Details: Yevgeny Prigozhin, two top executives of his Wagner Group, and four bodyguards were among the 10 people killed in the crash of an Embraer Legacy 600 aircraft north of Moscow on 23 August. Prigozhin was buried during a private ceremony on 29 August.
Brazil's CENIPA stated that to improve flight safety, it would join the Russian-led investigation should it be invited, and if it was conducted as per international rules.
CENIPA reported that on Tuesday, 29 August, it received a response from Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee, the Commission for the Investigation of Aviation Accidents, saying that the Russian authorities would not open the investigation under Annex 13 for the time being.
Annex 13 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation – better known as the 1944 Chicago Convention – provides for international cooperation.
Aircraft crash investigations aim to improve flight safety without determining who is responsible, but political interests often taint investigations.
CENIPA and the Embraer's manufacturer wish to prevent future accidents but face obstacles in obtaining information during the investigation due to sanctions against Russia and Moscow's reluctance to allow external scrutiny.
The Embraer Legacy 600 has a good safety record. About 802 Embraer regional jets seating 37-50 people are in operation, built on the same platform as the Legacy 600 corporate jets, which means that Brazil is interested in studying the Prigozhin case.
The flight from Moscow to St Petersburg was a domestic affair, according to the Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and therefore not subject to international rules known in the industry as Annex 13.
The Russian aviation authorities were not obliged to accept CENIPA's proposal, but some former investigators believe they should do so, as the US and other Western governments suspect the Kremlin of involvement in the 23 August crash.
"They are not obliged, only recommended to do that," CENIPA's Chief, Air Force Brigadier General Marcelo Moreno, told Reuters after the agency sent an email last week asking Russia whether it would open such an investigation.
"But if they say they’ll open the investigation and invite Brazil we will participate from afar," Moreno added.
John Cox, a US aviation security consultant and former investigator, said the internal Russian investigation would always be questioned without the involvement of Brazil, the country where Prigozhin's plane was manufactured.
"I think it’s very sad. I think it hurts the transparency of the Russian investigation," Cox said after being informed of the Russian response.
Jeff Guzzetti, a former US air crash investigator, said Russia should accept help from Brazil, even if CENIPA is only able to participate remotely: "If they don't, well, then that's a sure sign that it's not going to be a transparent investigation".
Brazilian aircraft conglomerate Embraer declined to comment.
Background:
- On 23-24 June 2023, Yevgeny Prigozhin, also known as Putin's "chef", tried to march on Moscow with his Wagnerites but stopped the rebellion and fled to Belarus with some of the mercenaries.
- Before that, Wagner mercenaries had fought in Ukraine, and Prigozhin had quarrelled with the Russian Defence Ministry and the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces.
- Prigozhin was likely killed in a plane crash on 23 August.
- Russia's Investigative Committee announced that it had conducted a molecular genetic examination and confirmed the deaths of Wagner PMC leaders Yevgeny Prigozhin and Dmitry Utkin in a plane crash in Tver Oblast.
- On 29 August, Prigozhin's press service reported that his funeral was held privately.
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