Russia will not investigate the plane crash that killed Mr. Prigozhin

Mr Prigozhin, two senior lieutenants of the Wagner Group and four bodyguards were among the ten people killed when an Embraer Legacy 600 crashed north of Moscow last week.

Brazil's Center for Research and Prevention of Aviation Accidents CENIPA said it would participate in the Russian-led investigation if invited and if the investigation was conducted in accordance with international law.

Russia's aviation authority is not required to comply with CENIPA, but some investigators say it should because the U.S. and other Western governments suspect the Kremlin was behind the Aug. 23 crash of an Embraer Legacy 600, a plane with a stellar safety record.

The Kremlin has denied any involvement in the incident. Prigozhin has been critical of Russia’s methods of conducting special operations in Ukraine.

According to the Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg was a domestic flight, so the investigation was not required to comply with the international code known in the industry as “Annex 13.”

It is not necessary to comply with international law.

“They are not obliged to follow international law, they are just encouraged to do so,” said CENIPA director Air Force Major General Marcelo Moreno.

“However, if they confirm that they will conduct an investigation and send an invitation to Brazil, we will participate in the investigation remotely.”

An internal Russian investigation would be doubtful without the involvement of Brazil, the country that manufactured the plane involved in the crash, said John Cox, an aviation safety consultant and former US investigator.

When told of the Russian response, Mr Cox said: “I think it’s sad. I think it’s going to hurt the integrity of the Russia investigation.”

CENIPA said on Tuesday it had received a response from the Interstate Aviation Committee - Accident Investigation Committee (IAC), and Russian authorities said they would not hold an investigation for the time being.

In aircraft crash investigations, experts work to improve aviation safety rather than to determine guilt.

CENIPA and aircraft manufacturer Embraer want to prevent future accidents but are struggling to gather information from the investigation, because of the bans imposed on Russia and concerns about allowing other countries to scrutinize the crash.

Embraer declined to comment on the matter.

Jeff Guzzetti, a former US air crash investigator, said Russia should accept help from Brazil, even if CENIPA could only participate in the investigation remotely.

“If they don't, it would be a clear sign that this investigation is not transparent.”

Taking its name from an annex to the Convention on International Civil Aviation – commonly known as the 1944 Chicago Convention – this international code provides a discreet but effective method of international cooperation that has so far received little opposition.

By engendering exceptionally close technical cooperation that cuts across political barriers and avoids issues of blame, "Annex 13" is credited with significantly improving aviation safety, aviation safety officials say.

Nguyen Quang Minh (according to Reuters)

Source