Switzerland admits crash 'lapses'

Relatives of the victims mourn their loss

ZURICH, Switzerland -- Switzerland has admitted "lapses" in the handling of the aftermath of last week's mid-air crash over southern Germany which killed 71 people.

At a memorial ceremony near the crash site in southern Germany, Swiss Transport Minister Moritz Leuenberger sought to address Russian anger following the crash between a Bashkirian Airlines Tu-145 and a DHL cargo jet.

Early statements from Skyguide, the private firm who run Swiss air traffic control, appeared to blame the pilot of the Bashkirian Airlines plane, whose passengers were mostly youngsters heading for a Spanish beach vacation.

"The confrontation with the terrible notion of being part of the cause of the death of 71 people led us into helpless initial reactions, to confused and confusing information, to lapses," Leuenberger said, expressing condolences to the victims on behalf of Switzerland. "Not every one of us found the right words."

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Meanwhile, Swiss President Kaspar Villiger cancelled plans to attend a funeral Saturday in Russia for children killed in the collision.

Thue Russian authorities said they could not guarantee his security because of strong emotions in the region, the Swiss Embassy in Russia said.

Switzerland is ready to offer compensation to the victims and will cooperate fully in the German-led investigation into the July 1 crash, Leuenberger said at the German ceremony attended by leaders from the Russian region where the plane was from.

"Your pain is our pain, your suffering is our suffering," Leuenberger said. "Switzerland wants to see cause and responsibility brought to light. It will make every effort to help establish the truth."

The Russian memorial service is being held on Saturday in Ufa, capital of Bashkortostan, an oil-rich Muslim republic in Russia's Ural Mountain range.

"The Russian Foreign Ministry has informed the Swiss embassy that the emotions in Ufa had risen to such an extent that the security of the Swiss delegation could have been endangered on the site on Saturday," the Berne government said in a statement.

Villiger again expressed Switzerland's sympathy for relatives of the victims and said in the statement he regretted he could not convey this in person.

Earlier this week a Swiss air traffic controller involved in last week's deadly mid-air collision over Germany was suspended and the number of controllers on duty increased on orders from the Swiss government.

The nation's aviation authority ordered Skyguide to have at least two people manning each flight sector -- a single controller was on duty at the time of last week's collision.

Skyguide also agreed to suspend "until further notice" but not dismiss the air traffic controller involved and to put three controllers on duty whenever warning systems are down for maintenance.

On Thursday Pravda reported that the Russian pilots' trade union was to take legal action against Swiss officials for statements made immediately after the crash.

Skyguide said earlier this week that the controller concerned was on medical leave and was receiving psychological counselling.

Flight voice recorder information released by the German agency showed about 45 seconds before the July 1 crash, automatic warning systems on the two planes simultaneously told pilots to take emergency manoeuvres, directing the Russian plane to climb and the DHL International cargo plane to descend.

But one second later, Swiss air traffic control told the Russian plane to descend. Faced with conflicting orders, the Russian pilot hesitated until the order was repeated by air traffic control 14 seconds later.

The Russian then acknowledged in English that he had received the air traffic controller's order, and overrode the computer directions.