JOAN LOWY
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — A global air safety group says an international coalition of countries should lead the investigation of a Malaysia plane shot down over Ukraine.

Normally the country where a crash occurs takes the lead on an investigation. Safety experts say they’re concerned that because the plane crashed in area of Ukraine that is in dispute, political considerations could affect the investigation.

Kenneth Quinn of the Flight Safety Foundation said only “an independent, multinational investigation can truly get to the bottom of it without political interference.” He said he is concerned about “spoilage” of the crash site and investigators’ access to critical evidence like data and voice recorders.

The Soviet Union held onto the recorders of a South Korean airliner it shot down in 1988 for years before releasing them.

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