Prague, June 3 (CTK) – The Czechs are not to blame for the accident of a Hungarian Gripen fighter plane in Caslav, central Bohemia, in 2015, Jiri Caletka, from the Defence Ministry’s press department, told CTK Friday, but would not elaborate on the results of the investigation.
Czech authorities have handed the matter to their Hungarian counterparts.
A JAS-39 Gripen fighter crashed at the Caslav airport during landing on May 15. It failed to stop and ended up outside the airstrip.
Both pilots managed to eject. The plane was seriously damaged.
Shortly after the accident it was spoken about that the Hungarian pilot made a mistake. He has allegedly pleaded guilty. It is said that he accelerated instead of decelerating.
The Defence Ministry has not released the results of the investigation.
“The investigation has ruled out participation of the Czech military in the accident. However, only the Hungarian side can provide detailed information on the results of the investigation with regard to the aircraft and its crew falling under the Hungarian air force,” Caletka said.
Pavel Kriz, commander of the Czech Military Police, made a similar statement.
“The military police have investigated it and the state attorney’s office will hand the case to the Hungarian Republic to complete the investigation also from the criminal point of view,” he told CTK.
The Hungarian index.hu server wrote last year, referring to its source, that the plane’s electronic devices were switched off after which the pilot should have applied manual control and slowed down, which did not happen.
The Gripen was piloted by one of Hungary’s most experienced fighter pilots, General Csaba Ugrik.