Court Closes Decade-Long Airplane Crash Case
The case of an aircraft crash on the island of Hiiumaa almost 10 years ago has finally been closed, with the court finding pilot Alexander Nikolajev was not responsible for causing the accident.
The incident took place on November 23, 2001, when a passenger aircraft with 17 people on board crashed near Kärdla airport in Hiiumaa. One of the passengers was killed and another died later in hospital due to severe injuries.
In 2002, the government approved the final investigation report of an expert committee, according to which the accident happed due to a mistake made by the pilot, Delfi said. Almost 10 years later, however, the court found that the accident happened due to severe weather conditions, attorney Kalev Bachmann said.
Bachmann said the long-running case had already been harsh punishment for the pilot, and the passengers who survived the crash did not wish to see him convicted. Bachmann added that at the time of the accident, Nikolajev did everything possible to minimize the impact of the crash.
Ingrid Teesalu
