According to preliminary data, the cause of the accident was that the plane caught on the tops of trees. On this reported in the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office. It all happened in an extremely poor visibility – due to dense fog.
According to unofficial data, the liner several times dropped in for a landing. The tragedy ended with the fourth attempt to land.
Lech Kaczynski flew to Russia with a large delegation. On board the presidential Tupolev Tu-154 was the first lady of Poland, members of the government, senior officials and heads of public organizations. They waited in Katyn, in the mourning commemoration of the 70 th anniversary of the massacre of Polish officers.
The aircraft was landing at a military airfield “North” on the outskirts of Smolensk. Why is the liner down, it reached the band just a few hundred meters – ascertain the investigation. Both flight recorders were found, they are not damaged. To decode them among the probable causes are called bad weather conditions, plus the human factor. Pilot error and acknowledges the Polish side: pilots, at your own risk, decided to land in bad weather.
Leonid Ananiev, a leading engineer-meteorologist Hydrometeorological Center of Russia: “The forecast was given on the fogs of the Smolensk region yesterday in a daily forecast Hydrometcentre Smolensk and Moscow, that is, the situation has been forecasted.
North – this is a first-class airport, technical complaints to him was, that’s just put a huge airliner with visibility of 200 meters is almost impossible, even in the best airports in the world.
Vladimir Muratov, deserved pilot RF: “According to international rules, the final decision is made by the commander of the ship. What could it be? Human factor. And that was the basis – it is the conclusion made by the Commission.”
Literally 10 minutes before the tragedy of Northern turned away and went to the alternate site Russian military transport board. Polish pilots offered to sit in Moscow or Minsk, but they still chose Smolensk. Price risk was 88 lives.
Andrew Evseenko, spokesman for the governor of Smolensk region: “With the fourth attempt, it reached 2 kilometers to the runway, crashed into the woods on the outskirts of Smolensk.
Eyewitness: “I heard the sound of the engine, but it strangely worked. Then I saw the plane. He was flying in dense fog is very low. The left wing down. Then followed a heavy blow, a terrible roar, and then the two flares – and the aircraft was no more.”
The crashed plane belonged spetspolku transport aircraft of the Polish Army. This part serves the government of the republic. Presidential Tu-154-M was assembled in the early 1990’s. These shots are recently in Russia, the factory ship in Samara. It was there that the Polish “board number one” and the second is the same, the government Tu-154 from Warsaw, were scheduled repair.
Alexei Gusev, General Director of Aviakor – Aircraft Factory: “I would like to express my condolences to relatives of the victims. The aircraft arrived at the” Aviakor for overhaul 29 May 2009. 21 December 2009 signed the act on the implementation of the Capital repair.
For half a century of aircraft Tu-154 crashed about 60 such aircraft. But to perish in a plane crash Head of State, which carry the most experienced pilots – is emerging out of the ordinary individual cases. In 2004, crashed Macedonian President Boris Trajkovski, in 1988 – Pakistani leader Zia-ul-Haq.
Channel One has received a comment of the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force of Russia Alexander Aleshin. Here is what he told about the circumstances of air disaster.
Alexander Aleshin, deputy chief of General Staff of the Air Forces of Russia: “The Tu-154 at a distance of 50 km walked into the zone. Flight director was notified that the weather is below the meteorological conditions of the aerodrome, and it was recommended that the crew go to the alternate. The crew took solution that will perform landing approach and at a height of a decision to take the final decision. This is not inconsistent with international practice. The final decision on the adoption of the landing or departure of the alternate takes crew commander. at a distance of 1.5 kilometers of flight management team discovered that crew increased vertical rate of descent and began to descend below the glide path. The head flight crew gave the command to move the aircraft in level flight, and when the crew failed to comply with instructions, several times he gave the command to the alternate. Nevertheless, the crew continued to decline. K Unfortunately, it ended tragically. ” Gregory Emelianov