DefMin Fifor: Aircraft operated by Air Force are perfectly operational

Defense Minister Mihai Fifor said on Monday that the aircraft operated by the Air Forces are perfectly operational. 

His remarks come in the context of the aviation accident at the Borcea military airfield that claimed the life of Lieutenant-Commander Florin Rotaru. 

"I want to tell you once again, and I assume this statement - the aircraft that the Air Force operates are perfectly functional. They do not go on mission without meeting all the flight conditions. As to the ongoing investigations, I cannot refer to these," Fifor said at the headquarters of the Air Force Staff, at the opening of an activity of familiarizing the relevant staff with the procedures of using the Reconfigurable Table Top Trainer (RT-3) simulation system. 

According to him, the minister of defense will never intervene in an investigation in terms of speeding it or slowing it down. 

"I am going to tell you what I told you after the accident - the aircraft that pilots use are safe, they have all the technical checks to date. (...) As such, I invite you to wait for an official result of this investigation, the minister of defense will never intervene in an investigation in terms of speeding or slowing it down," Fifor said. 

A MiG 21 LanceR warplane, which took part on Sunday in an air show organized on the occasion of the Open Air Day at the Borcea Air Base, crashed near Fetesti and Florin Rotaru, the pilot of the aircraft, died.

The officer was 36 years old and served as chief pilot within No. 861 Squadron Combat Aviation, No. 86 Fetesti Air Base.