The versions of the plane crash in Zhytomyr region, in which three pilots died, include a technical malfunction of the aircraft, a pilot error, and a violation of the organization of flights, the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) has said.

Specialists from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and the Air Force Command will be involved in the investigation, SBI Communications Adviser Tetiana Sapyan said on the air of the national telethon on Monday.

"As for the versions, the investigation will consider a technical malfunction of the aircraft, a pilot error. The third version is violations in the organization of flights," she said.

According to the official, in order to confirm any version, it is necessary to conduct a whole range of examinations – a forensic medical examination, decoding of the flight recorders, a comprehensive forensic aviation and technical examination.

"Currently, according to the pre-established circumstances, there is information that the crash occurred as a result of a collision of two aircraft during a turnaround maneuver. This is what we received from our investigators this morning," she said.

As reported, the SBI is investigating the circumstances of the air crash of L-39 combat training aircraft in Zhytomyr region on August 25, in which three pilots of the Ukrainian Air Force were killed.

"The incident occurred on August 25, 2023. During a combat mission in the sky near Zhytomyr, two L-39 combat training aircraft collided. Three pilots of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were killed," the press service of the SBI said.

Preliminary qualification of the offense is the following: violation of flight rules or preparation for them (Article 416 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine). The sanction of the article provides for punishment in the form of imprisonment for up to 15 years.