The deaths of two Bulgarian military pilots prompted sharp criticism of the air force over its attempt to hold an air show.
The military pilots, Major Petko Dimitrov and Senior Lieutenant Ventsislav Dunkin, died on Friday while training for an air show that was scheduled for Saturday. The crash occurred during a flight at very low altitude in a Czech L-39 fighter trainer.
The cancelled air show was timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Bulgaria’s accession to NATO and the 35th anniversary of the introduction of MiG-29 fighters into the Bulgarian Air Force. Former military minister and military expert Velizar Shalamanov stated:
In this very difficult state of Bulgarian aviation, especially combat aviation, we have to ask ourselves whether demonstrations and air shows are the best way to use limited resources when we expect the F-16s to arrive in a few months.
Bulgaria currently operates between five and eight functioning MiG-29 fighters, while it is awaiting delivery of 16 high-tech F-16 Block 70 fighters from the US.
First – we don’t have enough planes and helicopters. Second – we don’t have enough money to maintain them and fuel them. Third – we maintain a much larger number of pilots than necessary to use the limited equipment.
An investigation into the crash, led by a military prosecutor, is currently underway. The cause of the accident is not clear, but prosecutors are considering three versions: human error, technical malfunction, or incorrectly set command.
