Smolensk air disaster: Difference between revisions

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On 10 April 2010, a [[Polish Air Force]] [[Tupolev Tu-154]]M aircraft crashed near [[Smolensk]], [[Russia]], killing all 96 passengers and crew. Those killed included the [[Poland]]'s [[President of Poland|President]] [[Lech Kaczyński]] and his wife; the Chief of the [[Polish General Staff|General Staff of the Armed Forces]] and other senior [[Polish Armed Forces|military]] officers; the President of the [[National Bank of Poland|National Bank]]; the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Poland)|Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs]]; [[Politics of Poland|government]] officers, vice-speakers and members of [[National Assembly of the Republic of Poland|parliament]]; and senior members of [[clergy]].<ref name="RT-0">[http://rt.com/Top_News/2010-04-10/plane-crash-smolensk-region.html Polish president killed in air crash near Russia's Smolensk], [[RT (TV network)|RT]], 2010-04-10</ref> They were en route from [[Warsaw]] to attend an event to mark the 70th [[anniversary]] of the [[Katyn massacre]].<ref name="cnn">{{cite news |title=Polish president killed in plane crash |date=2010-04-10 |publisher=[[Turner Broadcasting]] |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/04/10/poland.president.plane.crash/index.html?hpt=T1 |work=CNN |accessdate= 2010-04-10}}</ref> The site of the massacre is approximately 19 kilometres (12 mi) west of [[Smolensk]].
On 10 April 2010, a [[Polish Air Force]] [[Tupolev Tu-154]]M aircraft crashed near [[Smolensk]], [[Russia]], killing all 96 passengers and crew. Those killed included the [[Poland]]'s [[President of Poland|President]] [[Lech Kaczyński]] and his wife; the Chief of the [[Polish General Staff|General Staff of the Armed Forces]] and other senior [[Polish Armed Forces|military]] officers; the President of the [[National Bank of Poland|National Bank]]; the [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Poland)|Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs]]; [[Politics of Poland|government]] officers, vice-speakers and members of [[National Assembly of the Republic of Poland|parliament]]; and senior members of [[clergy]].<ref name="RT-0">[http://rt.com/Top_News/2010-04-10/plane-crash-smolensk-region.html Polish president killed in air crash near Russia's Smolensk], [[RT (TV network)|RT]], 2010-04-10</ref> They were en route from [[Warsaw]] to attend an event to mark the 70th [[anniversary]] of the [[Katyn massacre]].<ref name="cnn">{{cite news |title=Polish president killed in plane crash |date=2010-04-10 |publisher=[[Turner Broadcasting]] |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/europe/04/10/poland.president.plane.crash/index.html?hpt=T1 |work=CNN |accessdate= 2010-04-10}}</ref> The site of the massacre is approximately 19 kilometres (12 mi) west of [[Smolensk]].


The cause of the crash is under investigation. According to preliminary reports, the pilot attempted to land at [[Smolensk Airbase]] in fog which reduced visibility to about 500 m,<ref> {{Cite news|publisher=TVN|title=Tragedia pod Smolenskiem, Prezydent nie zyje, Raport|url=http://www.tvn24.pl/-1,10901,0,1,tragedia-pod-smolenskiem-prezydent-nie-zyje,raport.html|accessdate= 2010-04-13 }} </ref> ignoring the advice of the ground control to divert to a safer airport in [[Vitebsk]], [[Minsk]] or [[Moscow]].<ref name="Wojciechowski-105770">
The cause of the crash is under investigation. According to preliminary reports which have not been verified and confirmed by the investigative teams at the scene of the crash, the pilot attempted to land at [[Smolensk Airbase]] in fog which reduced visibility to about 500 m.

{{cite web
⚫
According to preliminary reports, the plane was too low on the approach, struck some trees in the [[fog]], failed to regain control and fell to the ground {{convert|200|m|ft}} from the airfield, breaking into pieces across the wooded area.<ref name="RT-0" /><ref>
| url = http://wyborcza.pl/1,105770,7768258,Wszyscy_jestesmy_winni_tej_tragedii.html
| title = Wszyscy jesteśmy winni tej tragedii
| last = Wojciechowski
| first = Marcin
| publisher = Wyborcza.pl
| language = Polish
| date = 2010-04-14
| accessdate = 2010-04-14
}}&nbsp;[http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sl=pl&tl=en&u=http://wyborcza.pl/1,105770,7768258,Wszyscy_jestesmy_winni_tej_tragedii.html&prev=_t&rurl=translate.google.com&twu=1&usg=ALkJrhja4Ks8T4gMhraw8gzl-aq2AHFKbA translate]</ref>
⚫
On the final approach the plane was too low, struck some trees in the [[fog]], failed to regain control and fell to the ground {{convert|200|m|ft}} from the airfield, breaking into pieces across the wooded area.<ref name="RT-0" /><ref>
{{cite web
{{cite web
| url = http://wyborcza.pl/1,75478,7761110,Tak_doszlo_do_tragedii.html
| url = http://wyborcza.pl/1,75478,7761110,Tak_doszlo_do_tragedii.html

Revision as of 22:48, 15 April 2010

Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash
The Tupolev Tu-154M (101) leaving Boryspil International Airport in 2008
Accident
Date10 April 2010[1]
SummaryUnder investigation[1]
Site200 m (656.2 ft) short of runway at Smolensk Airbase[2]
54°49′26.02″N 32°3′4.54″E / 54.8238944°N 32.0512611°E / 54.8238944; 32.0512611
Aircraft
Aircraft typeTupolev Tu-154M
Operator36 SPLT, Polish Air Force
Registration101
Flight originFrédéric Chopin Airport,
Warsaw, Poland
DestinationSmolensk Airbase
Smolensk, Russia
Passengers89
Crew7
Fatalities96[3][4]
Survivors0

On 10 April 2010, a Polish Air Force Tupolev Tu-154M aircraft crashed near Smolensk, Russia, killing all 96 passengers and crew. Those killed included the Poland's President Lech Kaczyński and his wife; the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces and other senior military officers; the President of the National Bank; the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; government officers, vice-speakers and members of parliament; and senior members of clergy.[5] They were en route from Warsaw to attend an event to mark the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre.[6] The site of the massacre is approximately 19 kilometres (12 mi) west of Smolensk.

The cause of the crash is under investigation. According to preliminary reports which have not been verified and confirmed by the investigative teams at the scene of the crash, the pilot attempted to land at Smolensk Airbase in fog which reduced visibility to about 500 m.

According to preliminary reports, the plane was too low on the approach, struck some trees in the fog, failed to regain control and fell to the ground 200 metres (660 ft) from the airfield, breaking into pieces across the wooded area.[5][7][8]

Accident

Flight map
Part of the wreckage near Smolensk

The Tupolev Tu-154M of the 36th Special Aviation Regiment[9] carrying Polish President Lech Kaczyński crashed at 10:56 MSD (08:56 CEST, 06:56 UTC),[10] near the village of Pechersk, just north of Smolensk, Russia, from where Kaczyński was due to visit the nearby site marking the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre.[10] The plane took off at 07:23 CEST (05:23 UTC) from Warsaw Frédéric Chopin Airport (800 km away from Smolensk), carrying 89 passengers and 7 crewmembers;[3] presidential aide Zofia Kruszyńska-Gust became ill just before the trip and did not board the plane. Some of the earlier reports gave erroneous information about the number of persons on board the flight.[11]

About an hour before the crash, a Yakovlev Yak-40 jet also belonging to the Polish government[12] carrying Polish journalists from the president's press pool landed at the airbase without incident.[13] But the weather conditions were quickly deteriorating: shortly after, a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 attempted to land, but due to poor visibility, the crew decided to divert to the Vnukovo Airport near Moscow.[14] When the presidential plane arrived at the airbase it was enveloped in thick fog, and the ground control personnel suggested to the pilot and crew that landing at another airfield would be advisable. The pilot was told by the control tower to divert the plane's landing to either Moscow or Minsk (400 km and 300 km away, respectively). However after circling the airport at several hundred meters of altitude three times, the pilot made the decision to land there and it became unfeasible to divert the landing to an alternate airfield.[15] The plane crashed during this attempt 200 m (650 feet) short of the runway after hitting some 10-metre (33-foot) high trees on the approach to the runway.[16][16][17] The crash occurred in fog (500 m (1,600 ft)* visibility) about 200 metres (700 ft) from the Smolensk Airbase,[18] 300 to 400 metres (1,000 to 1,300 ft) off the landing path.[19] The cause of the crash is under investigation.[20][21][22]

The Governor of Smolensk Oblast, Sergey Antufyev, confirmed that there were no survivors in the crash. The plane, reported to have been flying at a very low altitude, clipped trees and crashed into the ground, then caught fire.[10] Russian state television reported that the jet crashed about 200 metres (660 ft) short of the runway during an attempt to land in heavy fog. Pictures from the scene showed parts of the airplane charred and strewn through a wooded area. Some pieces, including one of the wheel wells, were upside-down.[10] The Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, said that the bodies of those killed in the crash would be brought to Moscow for identification.[23] However, Kaczyński's body was identified in Smolensk and was flown directly to Warsaw on the afternoon of 11 April.[24]

Investigation

Within hours after the crash, the President of Russia, Dmitry Medvedev, announced the establishment of a special commission for the investigation of the accident. The commission will be supervised by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.[25][26][27] An Investigation Committee of the Prosecutor General of Russia started a criminal case in accordance with a "violation of the safety rules" of the Russian Criminal Code.[28]

Putin and Medvedev promised Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk they would work closely with Poland in investigating the crash. Initial signs pointed to an accident, possibly due to the fog that is very common in the area in spring and autumn, as well as a pilot error.

Two "black box" flight recorders were recovered undamaged from the crash site during the afternoon/early evening of 10 April, as was confirmed by Sergey Shoygu, the Russian Minister of Emergency Situations.[29] That evening, it was reported that the recordings confirm that the pilot was making attempts to land against the advice of air traffic controllers.[30] The third black box was found on 12 April.[31]

Preliminary data indicated that the plane hit the treetops as it was making the approach to the airport in poor visibility.[32]

On the day after the crash, investigators said they had reviewed the "black box" recordings, and confirmed that there were no technical problems with the Soviet-built aeroplane, ruling out initial theories that the 20-year-old plane was at fault. Alexei Gusev, general director of Aviakor factory, said that the aircraft's three engines had been repaired and technicians had fitted electronic and navigation equipment. He said that there were no doubts about the plane's airworthiness.[33]

Russia is offering full cooperation to Polish prosecutors during the investigation.[34] Polish investigators in Russia have been given access to all procedures of Russian investigators. They do not have the authority to conduct investigative actions by themselves, but they are participating on equal terms with their Russian counterparts in the interviews with people involved and other parts of the investigation. Polish officials are to secure all Polish state documents found in the wreckage, as well as electronic devices (laptops and cell phones) belonging to government officials and military officers. In turn Russian investigators received from Poland materials secured after the crash, including those about the technical state of the airplane and fitness of the pilot. The Polish investigation results will be based in part on Russian findings, but they are not bound by the results of the Russian investigation. Preliminary results of the investigations are to be released in the next few days.[34] The third flight data recorder, designed and produced in Poland, will be sent to Poland and analyzed there, with the participation of Russian experts.[35] An initial report by Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee (Russian: Межгосударственный авиационный комитет (MAK)) revealed that all three engines were operating normally, and that there was no fire or explosion before the aircraft crashed.[36]

Initial theories

Air traffic control advice ignored by pilot

A Russian official told Reuters anonymously that, "The pilot was advised to fly to Moscow or Minsk because of heavy fog, but he still decided to land. No one should have been landing in that fog."[37] According to the news agency Interfax, the pilot was told that Smolensk Airport was enveloped in thick fog and strongly advised against landing, but still he decided to continue with the original flight plan to Smolensk and attempt a landing.[38] The controllers did not declare that the airport is closed, which would have forced the Polish plane to divert elsewhere, fearing that this would cause a diplomatic incident. [39] According to the interview given by the flight controller Pavel Plusnin[40] and retransmitted by Polish TVN, it was suggested to the pilot that he land at an alternative airfield but he refused, saying that he would attempt one approach, and if landing were not possible, he would then divert to another airfield.[15]

Alexandr Aleshin, the First Deputy Chief of the Main Staff of the Russian Air Force, said that the plane increased its descent rate and went below the glide slope 1.5 km (0.93 mi) from the runway. Controllers instructed the pilot to abort the approach; when he did not, controllers advised the aircraft to return to the reserve landing point. This order was repeated several times but the crew continued with the approach and crashed.[41] The interview with the air traffic controller suggested that at some point during the flight the Polish pilots stopped responding to the flight communication, allegedly due to their insufficient command of Russian, and the demanding landing conditions.[40]

On 23 January 2008, a Polish military plane with senior officers crashed under similar landing conditions.[42] Improper crew selection, bad weather and pilot distraction were cited as the major causes as inexperienced pilots, trying to see the ground, failed to notice the plane's loss of altitude.[43] The plane was from a regular transport unit, and not from the 36th Special Aviation Regiment that the presidential Tu-154M belonged to, and which is dedicated to carrying government officials.

Instrument landing system incompatibility

Smolensk Airbase, a former military airbase now in mixed military-civilian use, may be using a Russian instrument landing system (ILS) called PRMG,[44] which is not compatible with the instrument landing system generally used in the West.[45] The Polish airplane was modified to use the Western ILS.[44] Charles Bremner says there was no ILS at the airport at all, just an NDB system.[46]

An NDB system can be used for a "non-precision approach" to the runway, as its antennas are situated on the opposite ends of the runway, thus giving basic directional information. However, it is a navigational aid, not a landing aid, so keeping track of the altitude remains the crew's responsibility. That failed, for the aircraft was well below the glide slope despite air traffic controller warnings.[16]

Technical failure

The aircraft, a Tupolev Tu-154M, construction number 90A837, was manufactured at Kuibyshev aviation plant (No. 18) on 29 June 1990 for the Polish Air Force.[47] It was one of two Tupolev Tu-154s that served as official government jets; this aircraft—with a tail number of 101—was for presidential use, while another—marked 102—is used by the prime minister.

The BBC reported that questions about the 20-year-old presidential jet were being raised: "In late 2008 Kaczyński had suffered a couple of scares. Problems with the aircraft's steering mechanism delayed his departure from Mongolia, forcing him to take a charter flight to Tokyo. ... However, the aircraft had undergone a major overhaul in December 2009 and Aleksey Gusev, the head of the maintenance plant that carried out the work, told Polish TV that it should not have had technical problems."[48] According to a Polish military magazine the airplane was serviced in December 2009 at the manufacturer and received 5-year/7500-flight-hour warranty; the crash happened just after 138 flight hours.[49]

On a note about the type of aircraft used, Paul Duffy, an expert on Russian aviation, stated in 2004 that in 28 crashes of the Tu-154 up to then, few were due to technical failure, and the hull-loss rate was normal for the number in service, the number of years it has been operated, and for the technology of the aircraft.[48]

Language problems

Language barriers may have contributed to the crash.[50] One of the controllers at the airfield, Anatoly Muravyov, said in a interview published in the Russian tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda that the pilots and controllers had trouble communicating in a mix of broken English—the global standard for air-traffic controllers—and broken Russian."[50][51] The flight controller said communication was hindered by the fact that it was conducted in Russian, which the Polish crew did not know sufficiently well, communicating numerical quantities such as altitude data with particular difficulty.[15]

Tomasz Pietrzak, a pilot of Polish government Tu-154s, contradicted this telling Poland’s TVN24 that the language barrier would not have been a problem for the pilot, Arkadiusz Protasiuk, as the latter spoke Russian very well.[50][52][53] Until 2009 Polish government planes flying VIPs to Russia usually took a Russian navigator on board, but the procedure was discontinued and Polish crews came to handle communications when flying to Russia; Russian flight controllers had reported no communications problems relating to this change.[52]

Protasiuk landed in Smolensk 3 days before the crash (when he was part of the crew that brought the Polish Prime Minister for the April 7 ceremony), and at the time no communication problems with ground control were reported.[54] The Polish military said Protasiuk knew Russian perfectly, as it was essential to his job as a pilot, given the Tu-154 was Soviet-built and all aircraft manuals were in Russian (though Polish translations of them exist).[54]

VIP passenger syndrome

Initial speculation was that the pilot tried to land repeatedly against the controller's advice because of pressure from the delegation, which was allegedly eager to attend the ceremony.[55] According to the former commander of the 36th Special Aviation Regiment, Tomasz Pietrzak, the decision by the Russians to keep the airfield open, even though the weather conditions were too dangerous to receive planes safely, may have been a factor in the crash.[56] Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) and Vice-Chairman of the State Duma, made a similar statement while addressing a plenary session of the Duma on April 14. "This is our responsibility to allow landing of a plane that carries an entire country's political elite, in fog. Even if there is a single cloud in the sky, that is it, the airfield [should be] closed," he said.[57]

In August 2008, a different pilot of Kaczyński's plane, Grzegorz Pietruczuk, was pressured by the president when he refused to land in Tbilisi during the South Ossetian war between Georgia and Russia.[58][59] During that incident, Pietruczuk was asked by the president's staff to change the flight plan and land in Tbilisi.[60] After consulting with the commander of his unit, Pietruczuk refused, justifying his decision by safety concerns. He was then visited in the cockpit by Kaczyński himself, who tried to convince him to change his mind. Kaczyński later told journalists: "If someone decides to become an officer, they should not be cowardly".[61] Nevertheless, Pietruczuk held his ground and the plane landed in Azerbaijan as planned. A few weeks after this incident Pietruczuk was decorated by the defense minister for following correct procedures in this case and keeping the safety of his passengers utmost in his mind.[60] Pietruczuk continued to fly the president's plane after the incident, even after Kaczyński expressed unhappiness with his performance during the flight to Tbilisi.[62] Grzegorz Hołdanowicz, a leading Polish defence analyst, stated his belief that in Smolensk, the pilot Captain Arkadiusz Protasiuk would have been under pressure to land, despite advice from air traffic control to the contrary.[59]

Notable passengers

Main article: List of casualties of the 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash

In addition to Kaczyński and his wife Maria, on board were the military joint chiefs of staff (army, air force, navy), the national bank governor, a deputy foreign minister, head army chaplain, head of the National Security Bureau, three deputy parliament speakers, Olympic Committee head, head civil rights commissioner and at least two presidential aides and widely known national lawmakers (including core members of the Law and Justice party), the Polish foreign ministry said.[63]

Political aftermath

In accordance with the Polish Constitution, on the President's death his duties were taken on by the Marshal of the Sejm (chairman of the lower house of the parliament)—currently Bronisław Komorowski, who thus became Acting President of Poland.[64] Within a fortnight, he must announce the date of the popular presidential election to be held within a further 60 days on a weekend, i.e. at latest on 20 June. Kaczyński was up for re-election in late September or early October, before the end of his first five-year term.[65]

Despite the deaths of the president and numerous officials, the crash is not expected to impair the functions of the Polish government, since no cabinet ministers were aboard the plane. The Polish Armed Forces were dealt a severe blow, however, since all of their senior commanding officers were killed; their duties were automatically taken over by respective deputy commanders, following standard contingency plans for such a situation.

The commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre was split up because of the political conflict between the Liberal government of prime minister Donald Tusk and Conservative president Kaczyński.[66] On 7 April, Tusk, along with government officials and members of his Civic Platform party, went to Katyn[67] on invitation from the prime minister of Russia, Vladimir Putin.[68] The official commemoration, organized by Polish Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites, was scheduled on 10 April. Nevertheless, both ruling coalition and opposition were represented on the plane, with six and nine members of the Sejm, as well as one and two from the Senate, respectively, some of them well known in Poland. Many passengers were actively opposed to Tusk's policies, including:

The Marshal of the Sejm, Bronisław Komorowski, had previously been announced as the Civic Platform's candidate in the presidential election.[76] He has suggested that the date of the elections should be decided by the parliamentary opposition,[77] with him acting merely to guarantee that the Constitution is respected.

At the request of his twin brother Jarosław Kaczyński, it was announced that Lech Kaczyński would be buried in the Wawel Cathedral, a burial place reserved for people considered to be heroes of Polish history. However, that decision has proved controversial as about 500 people staged a protest in central Krakow on April 13th for instance[78] and some opinion leaders (for example Andrzej Wajda[79]) oppose it.

Reaction

Poland

Crowds on the Royal Route, Warsaw
Flowers and candles in front of Lublin town hall

The Polish public reacted with shock and grief to the disaster. Almost immediately after the news broke, mourners assembled before the Presidential Palace in Warsaw to lay hundreds of tributes, including flowers, wreaths, and candles. Elsewhere in Warsaw, Poles taped black ribbons to their front windows.

Bronisław Komorowski, as acting president, called for a two-minute moment of silence the following day, and formally declared a national week of mourning; all sporting events that week were cancelled. In Kraków, the Sigismund Bell of the Wawel Cathedral was tolled by twenty monks. On 11 April, Kaczyński's body was flown to Warsaw on a military plane; tens of thousands of Poles gathered at both the airport tarmac and the streets of the city to pay their respects to the late president as his casket was driven by hearse to the Presidential Palace.[80] Afterwards, the casket was laid in state at the Palace.[81]

Former president Aleksander Kwaśniewski told TVN24 that "It [Smolensk] is a cursed place. It sends shivers down my spine. First the flower of the Second Polish Republic is murdered in the forests around Smolensk, now the intellectual elite of the Third Polish Republic die in this tragic plane crash when approaching Smolensk airport."[82]

According to the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk: "The contemporary world has not seen such a tragedy".[83]

Former Polish Prime Minister Leszek Miller, who had himself suffered injuries in a helicopter crash while in office, said that Poland's aircraft were known to be in need of replacement, even though there is no evidence that it was anything wrong with this airplane. "I once said that we will one day meet in a funeral procession, and that is when we will take the decision to replace the aircraft fleet," he said.[84]

Russia

Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin in church
Dmitry Medvedev addresses the people of Poland. (transcript in English and in Polish).

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin expressed their condolences to the acting President and speaker of the parliament, Bronislaw Komorowski.[85] President Medvedev also announced that 12 April 2010 would be a national day of mourning in Russia.[86] Chairman of International Committee of the State Duma Konstantin Kosachev said that "Katyn claimed yet more victims". Chairman of the State Duma Boris Gryzlov has expressed condolences.[87]

Both Russians and tourists laid flowers and candles at the Polish embassy in Moscow,[88][89] and at the Polish consulates-general in Saint Petersburg and Kaliningrad.[88]

After the plane crash, the state-owned mass market Russia Channel broadcast the film Katyń[90] for the second time in Russia.[91][92] The film, which had been effectively banned from mass distribution in Russia,[93] was first shown in Russia on another state-owned channel, the less popular Kultura Channel[94] on 2 April 2010.[95][96] The first showing of Katyń was a political event, which was followed by a serious discussion of Polish-Russian relations by politicians and public figures,[97] and drew high audience numbers for the smaller channel,[98] with an estimated 100 million Russian viewers.[99]

While Polish commentators saw Putin's participation in the April 7th ceremony as a symbolic gesture, they were touched when Putin and Tusk paid tribute and lay flowers at the site of the plane crash. Tusk knelt and briefly hid his face in his hands, then stood up as Putin patted him on the shoulder. The two hugged, then gave a mutual press conference on the investigation into the crash. Polish commentators noted this was a human gesture, and a display of emotion that Poles had longed to see from their eastern neighbours.[100]

On Sunday, holding a bouquet of red roses, Putin is said to have appeared genuinely shaken as he escorted Kaczyński's body to a plane to be flown to Warsaw. And in words that were said to have touched a chord with ordinary Poles, Putin said in a Polish television interview: "This is of course first and foremost Poland's tragedy and that of the Polish people, but it is also our tragedy. We mourn with you".[93]

The Russian response has been noted favourably by Poles, with talk of a thawing in the relationship between Russia and Poland.[101] Witold Waszczykowski, deputy head of Poland's National Security Bureau, told Reuters, "We did not expect this gentle, kind approach, this personal involvement from Putin. Naturally it will have a positive impact on the relationship between our countries." Jerzy Bahr, the Polish ambassador to Russia also stated, "We can sense Russian solidarity at every step of the way."[89]

International

Main article: International response to the 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash

Many countries, international organizations and other entities have expressed sorrow and condolence to the people of Poland over the crash. National day of mourning was proclaimed in European Union and several other countries[102]. Victims of the airplane crash were also commemorated by a minute of silence before several football matches throughout Europe.

See also

References

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  2. ^ "Президент Польши погиб в катастрофе Ту-154 – всего 97 жертв". Newsru.com (in Russian). 2010-04-10. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  3. ^ a b "List of passengers and crew of TU-154" (in Polish). mswia.gov.pl. Retrieved 2010-04-14.
  4. ^ The list of those who perished during the Tu-154 plane crash in Smolensk Region, EMERCOM Russia
  5. ^ a b Polish president killed in air crash near Russia's Smolensk, RT, 2010-04-10
  6. ^ "Polish president killed in plane crash". CNN. Turner Broadcasting. 2010-04-10. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  7. ^ "animation of the accident". Retrieved 2010-04-13.
  8. ^ Wojciechowski, Marcin (2010-04-10/11). "Uratować się nie mogli". Gazeta Wyborcza. Retrieved 2010-04-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |Language= ignored (|language= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |coauthor= ignored (|author= suggested) (help) translate
  9. ^ "'Great tragedy' decimates Poland's leadership". MSNBC. 2010-04-10. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  10. ^ a b c d "Polish President Lech Kaczynski dies in plane crash". BBC. British Broadcasting Company. 2010-04-10. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  11. ^ White, Gregory (2010-04-10). "Polish President, Others Killed in Plane Crash". The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones. Retrieved 2010-04-10. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  12. ^ "Dziennikarze do Smoleńska lecieli także z kłopotami". Gazeta Wyborcza. 10 April 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2010.}
  13. ^ "Escaped Death: Polish journalists meant to be on Lech Kaczynski crashed plane". RT. 10 April 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  14. ^ Template:Ru icon "Диспетчер аэродрома «Северный»: Самолет президента Польши заходил на посадку один раз". Komsomolskaya Pravda. 11 April 2010. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
  15. ^ a b c "Wieża nie mówiła po angielsku i odradzała lądowanie". TVN. 2010-04-11. Retrieved 2010-04-11.
  16. ^ a b c "Crash simulation". Gazeta Wyborcza. 13 April 2010. Retrieved 13 April 2010. Cite error: The named reference "Gazeta" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  17. ^ "Polish President Killed in Plane Crash". Sky News. 10 April 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  18. ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. Flight Safety Foundation. 2010-04-10. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  19. ^ "Polish president killed in air crash near Russia's Smolensk". RT. 2010-04-10. Retrieved 2010-04-10.
  20. ^ "Pilot error may have caused Polish crash". China Daily. 10 April 2010. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
  21. ^ "Human error caused crash of Polish president's airplane in Russia". FOCUS News Agency. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
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