Russian experts head for fighter crash site in Lithuania

VILNIUS, September 17 (RIA Novosti, Vladimir Vodo) - Russian military experts investigating the crash of a Russian Su-27 fighter flew to the crash site Saturday afternoon. Earlier in the day members of the Lithuanian inter-departmental commission headed by Brigadier General Vitalijus Vaiksnoras met with the Russian delegates led by Major General Sergei Bainetov who arrived from Kaliningrad Friday. After the meeting Vaiksnoras told the Lithuanian national radio that the investigation of the Su-27 crash might last for more than a month. He added that the international law allowed the Russian side to participate in the investigation, experiments and examination of the crash site. Lithuanian Armed Forces commander, Major General Valdas Tutkus said Friday that Lithuania would not conduct a joint investigation of the Su-27 crash. He said that Lithuania was able to decipher data from the Su-27 flight recorders and would allow Russian representatives to see the results. The Su-27 fighter flying from St. Petersburg to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad crashed in Lithuania Thursday, apparently after navigation equipment failed. The pilot, Major Valery Troyanov, managed to eject to safety and no one was hurt in the incident.