Posted on 10/27/2005 5:05:05 AM PDT by robowombat
Man Kills Air Traffic Controller After Family Dies In Crash
POSTED: 2:42 pm EDT October 26, 2005
ZURICH, Switzerland -- A Russian architect whose family died when two planes collided acknowledged in court Tuesday that he later killed the air traffic controller who had been on duty, but said he could not remember doing it.
Vitaly Kaloyev said he never wanted to cause physical suffering to anybody and only sought an apology from the head of the air navigation service Skyguide, whom he called the "main culprit" in the July 1, 2002, air crash that killed his wife and children.
"After it (the crash), distress was my entire life," Kaloyev said as his trial opened Tuesday. "I'm still crying today over my children."
Prosecutor Ulrich Weder asked the Superior Court to sentence Kaloyev to 12 years' imprisonment for stabbing to death air traffic controller Peter Nielsen. He said the crime was clearly premeditated homicide, but fell short of murder because Kaloyev had not acted out of malice.
Kaloyev's lawyers pleaded for manslaughter and said the defendant was tormented by great psychological distress at the time of the crime. They said any prison term should not exceed three years.
Nielsen had been on duty alone on the day two planes collided over southern Germany -- an area for which he was responsible.
He reportedly gave only 44 seconds' warning to a Bashkirian Airlines plane and a DHL cargo aircraft that they were getting too close to each other. He told the Russian plane to descend -- sending the jetliner straight into the cargo jet.
The crash killed 71 people, including Kaloyev's wife and his two children who were on their way to visit him in Spain, where he was working. He immediately went to the crash site and found his daughter's body almost intact.
Kaloyev acknowledged under the weight of evidence that he was responsible for the death of the Danish-born controller in February 2004, but said he could not remember any of the details.
Nielsen, 36, died of multiple stab wounds in his back yard. Kaloyev was later arrested in Zurich.
Kaloyev, 49, has been held in a psychiatric ward since his arrest for fear that he might attempt to commit suicide.
Very sad story.
This case is a tragedy since Kaloyev just wanted Nielsen to excuse himself. Nielsen obviously refused the contact with Kaloyev. Then Kaloyev lost control.
Nielsen and his company -Skyguide- are guilty of carelessness and wanton negligence. They were extremely airy. I couldn't understand that Nielsen was not arrested. Therefore the anger of Kaloyev was more than understandable. Nearly all victims in the Russian plane were children who took part on a school excursion. The Swiss authorities acted very dismissive upon the Russian parents.
The crash happend in 9000 m altitude over the Lake Constance in a dense populated area. Many people around the Lake saw the fireball of the collision.
Something for the east European ping list.
This is a tragic case, but when officials refuse to find fault with one of there own, some people may exact justice as they see fit. Nielsen's death was a tragedy, however not on the scale of 71 people caused by his foul-up.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.