Lviv, Ukraine
A fighter jet plunged into a crowd of onlookers in Lviv this week, killing 83 people, in the world’s worst air-show accident. The Russian-built Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet accidentally skimmed some treetops while performing aerial flips. The two pilots immediately ejected, and the plane crashed and skidded along the ground through the spectators before exploding. Hundreds among the crowd of 10,000 were injured. A grieving President Leonid Kuchma said the armed forces, which organized the show, were criminally negligent in allowing the plane to fly over spectators. Within hours, the head of the air force and three top officers were arrested, and the defense minister and army chief of staff resigned. The pilots might be arrested as well, after they get out of the hospital.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.