Experts from the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise are studying flight recorders from Russian aircraft shot down by the Ukrainian military.
Before the start of the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine, experts of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise participated in the investigation of the downing of a civilian passenger plane of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, shot down on July 17, 2014, in Donetsk region, and a civilian passenger plane of Ukraine International Airlines flight 752, shot down on January 8, 2020, in Iran.
The main purpose of the study of flight recorders (the so-called “black boxes”) is to obtain and decipher the parametric information about the flight process, which is recorded on these recorders. These data are important for investigating authorities and can be used in further analysis. It is important to establish details of the place of departure, flight path and other parameters that will help establish the reasons and the consequences of tragic events.
According to Oleksandr Ruvin, Director of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise, many parties are interested in an objective investigation into the facts of disasters: these are aircraft owners, manufacturers, representative offices of passenger countries and other participants. It is much easier to obtain the technical documentation necessary for the study of the development of aircraft and their operation. In the current situation, it is obvious that the Federation will not provide any official information. Instead, there is unofficial information and facts confirming that in some cases the Russians deliberately turn off the flight recorder systems in order to avoid fixing parametric flight data. This is done to ensure that there is no information if the aircraft is shot down.
Currently, experts in computer and technical research at the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise are decoding the flight recorders and providing the investigation with the most complete information for further analysis. As experts begin to say, in military aircraft, flight recorders record additional parameters that take into account the specifics of their application. They can log data on the operation of military systems, such as radars, satellite navigation systems, combat support systems, etc., as well as special functions that provide audio silence. Researching these aspects requires relevant knowledge, skills, software, and other resources.
Experts of the Kyiv Scientific Research Institute of Forensic Expertise note that short recorders are an important source of objective information about events since they do not have subjectivity and are not subject to human influence. The information obtained from the analysis of flight recorders has an objective source of evidence and can be used for repeated research by international organizations.
