2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash
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 Part of the fuselage near Smolensk | |
| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 10 April 2010[1] |
| Type | Under investigation, pilot error suspected[1][2][3] |
| Site | 200 m (660 ft) short of runway at Smolensk North Airport[4] 54°49′26.02″N 32°3′4.54″E / 54.8238944°N 32.0512611°ECoordinates: 54°49′26.02″N 32°3′4.54″E / 54.8238944°N 32.0512611°E |
| Passengers | 89 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Fatalities | 96[5] |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Tupolev Tu-154M |
| Operator | 36 SPLT, Polish Air Force |
| Tail number | 101 |
| Flight origin | Frédéric Chopin Airport, Warsaw, Poland |
| Destination | Smolensk North Airport Smolensk, Russia |
The cause of the crash is under investigation. According to preliminary reports, the pilot attempted to land at Smolensk North Airport, a former military airbase, in thick fog that reduced visibility to about 500 metres (1,600 ft).[9][10] The aircraft was too low as it approached the runway. Striking trees in the fog, it rolled upside down, impacted the ground, broke apart, and eventually came to rest 200 metres (660 ft) short of the runway in a wooded area.[6][11][12] On 1 June 2010, the Polish Prime Minister released a full transcript of the last 39 minutes (from 10:02:48.6 to 10:41:05.4 MSD) of the cockpit voice recording.[13][14][15]
Contents[show] |
Accident
About an hour before the crash, a Yakovlev Yak-40 jet also belonging to the Polish government[20] carrying Polish journalists from the president's press pool landed at the airbase without incident.[21] Shortly thereafter, about 20-minutes before the TU-154M landing attempt, a Russian Ilyushin Il-76 AWACS performed a "look-and-see" approach, and then diverted to the Vnukovo Airport near Moscow.[22] Upon the presidential aircraft's approach towards the base, atmospheric conditions worsened, and thick fog developed. The ground control personnel suggested the pilot divert to either Moscow or Minsk (400 km and 300 km away, respectively). The pilot nonetheless attempted landing at Smolensk.[23] The aircraft crashed during this attempt to land, 200 m (650 feet) short of the runway after hitting first an 11-metre (33-foot) high tree on the approach to the runway.[24][25][26][27] The crash occurred in fog (500 m/1,600 ft visibility) about 200 metres (700 ft) from Smolensk North Airport,[28]300 to 400 metres (1,000 to 1,300 ft) off the landing path.[29] The cause of the crash is under investigation.[30][31][32] Preliminary data suggest this incident may have been controlled flight into terrain,[33] despite the fact that the aircraft had been equipped with a terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS) made by Universal Avionics Systems of Tucson.[34][35][36][37] On 24 April 2010, the Russian Interstate Aviation Committee confirmed that the TAWS system was turned on.[38] TVN24 reported that the repeated warnings from the TAWS system was heard on the flight deck.[39]
The preliminary transcript from the black box recordings indicates that the aircraft's terrain awareness and warning system repeatedly told the crew to "pull up, pull up", and had warned the crew of the "terrain ahead". Officials were perplexed as to why the pilots would ignore such warnings and try to land under such conditions.[40]
The Governor of Smolensk Oblast, Sergey Antufyev, confirmed that there were no survivors of the crash. Pictures from the scene showed parts of the aircraft charred and strewn through a wooded area.[17] The Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, said that the bodies of those killed in the crash would be brought to Moscow for identification.[41] Kaczyński's body was identified in Smolensk and was flown directly to Warsaw on the afternoon of 11 April.[42]
Investigation
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Two 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.[47] That evening, it was reported that the recordings confirm that the pilot was making attempts to land against the advice of air traffic controllers.[48] The third flight recorder was found on 12 April.[49]
Preliminary data indicated that the aircraft hit the treetops as it was making the approach to the airport in poor visibility.[50]
On the day after the crash, investigators said they had reviewed the flight recorders, and confirmed that there were no technical problems with the Soviet-built aeroplane, ruling out initial theories that the 20-year-old aircraft was at fault. Alexei Gusev, general director of the Aviakor factory, said that the aircraft's three engines had been repaired and technicians had upgraded the plane's avionics. He said that there were no doubts about the plane's airworthiness.[51]
Russia offered full cooperation to Polish prosecutors during the investigation.[52] 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 were to secure all Polish state documents found in the wreckage, as well as electronic devices (portable computers and mobile telephones) 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 aircraft and fitness of the pilot. The Polish investigation results were to be based in part on Russian findings, but they are not bound by the results of the Russian investigation. Preliminary results of the investigations were to be released on the Thursday after the crash (including the cockpit voice recordings), but this was postponed until after the weekend when the funeral of the presidential couple was to take place,[52][53] then postponed indefinitely until full analysis was completed. The third flight data recorder, designed and produced in Poland, was to be sent to Poland and analysed there, with the participation of Russian experts.[54] An initial report by CIS’ 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.[55] According to the newspaper Dziennik, Polish flight recorder ATM-QAR registered that precisely at 8:41:02,5 (Polish time) the tail of the aircraft separated. All systems of Tu-154 stopped working at 8:41:04. Fuel temperature was below 0°C. Engines when the aircraft was above the road were at 60% of their nominal power (Tu-154 needs about 10 seconds to get 100% of power from engines). They also claim that the aircraft was 40 m lower than it should be.[56]
The discrepancy among the time of the crash registered by MARS flight recorders (10:41:05.4), ATM-QAR recorder (10:41:04), and when electricity lines were cut by the crashing aircraft a second or two before the final crash (10:39:35) was never explained.[57]
On 19 May 2010, the preliminary report of the investigation into the crash was published. Alexei Morozov, the head of the technical commission of Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee, stated that the Tupolev Tu-154M had no mechanical faults, and that an air traffic control official at Smolensk North Airport had "warned twice that visibility was 400 metres (1,312ft) and that were no conditions for landing". The investigation ruled out a terrorist attack, explosion or fire on board the aircraft as the cause of the crash. It was also reported that the voices of two non-crew members were heard in the cockpit during the period leading up to the crash. One of the voices was identified by sources as the Polish Air Force Commander, Lieutenant General Andrzej Błasik.[58][59]
According to the Interstate Aviation Committee report from 19 May 2010, the aircraft first hit an 11 metre tree approximately 1100 metres from the runway. The aircraft was also off by 40 metres from the extended middle line of the runway. The TAWS alarm "Pull up!" was first sounded at 100 metres altitude and then repeated several times before the crash. It was first sounded 18 seconds before hitting the tree and the crew attempted to abort landing 13 seconds later. Due to geographical relief the aircraft was actually 15 metres below the runway at the time of the first impact.[24]
On 26 May 2010, it was reported[2] that pilot error had been identified as the reason for the crash. Edmund Klich, the head of the Polish investigative commission, stated in an interview "Pretty much everything is clear right now and nearly all evidence has been gathered". “The pilots ignored the plane's automatic warnings and attempted an incredibly risky landing,” Klich said.[2] According to the report, the crew of the Tupolev Tu-154M failed to respond for 13 seconds when the plane's "terrain approaching" alarm warned that the aircraft was less than 100 metres from the ground. The aircraft attempted to pull up after hitting a five metre tall birch tree, but part of the left wing had been sheared off in the impact. The aircraft then went into a spin before landing on its back and disintegrating five seconds later. Edmund Klich declined to speculate on whether the pilot had been placed under pressure to land, commenting: "Psychologists will have to assess the stress levels the pilots were subjected to.[3]
On 1 June 2010, Poland’s Interior Ministry published a transcript from the cockpit voice recorder of the crashed TU-154M.[14] The transcript confirmed earlier reports that the aircraft had attempted to land in bad weather against the advice of air traffic control and the plane's terrain awareness warning system.[15] At one point in the recording, Mariusz Kazana, the Director of Diplomatic Protocol in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, enters the cockpit and was told by the pilot "Sir, the fog is increasing. At the moment, under these conditions that we have now, we will not manage to land" to which Kazana replies "Well, then we have a problem."[60]
Expert commentators have noted that the flight navigator, who was listing the altitude readings on the transcript, was referring to the radar altimeter (which gives height above ground) rather than the pressure altimeter (which would provide the height relative to the level of the runway).[61] Because the terrain rises up to the runway, this could have had the effect of causing the pilot to fly far too low.
As of 18 September 2010, 270,000 persons have reportedly signed a petition calling for an international commission to investigate the Tu-154 crash on April 10, 2010 at Smolensk.[62] In support, the Katyn 2010 Association pointed out that the Russian investigators failed to surrender all black boxes from the Polish presidential Tu-154 according to the same IAR report.[62]
Ewa Kopacz, Polish minister of health claimed in Sejm that after the crash, ground was dug on depth of one meter, and even if a tiny piece of human flesh was found, it was genetically tested. However, in the transcript released online by Sejm, the meaning of her speech was changed: that when a small piece of flesh was found, the ground was dug on depth of one meter. Moreover, in September, one of the Polish pilgrims to Smolensk, found a jaw with teeth and two other bones.[63]
The MAK completed their investigation on 20 October. A copy of the report was sent to the Polish authorities, who have 60 days to comment, after which the report will be published.[55]
The aircraft
The TU-154M, 101, was the Polish Government's military Air vessel in service with the Polish Air Force’s 36th Special Aviation Regiment, operated by, and under jurisdiction of the Polish Ministry of National Defense. On April 10, 2010, the Tupolev TU-154M, 101, was conducting a flight designated as "HEAD" ("Important") with the President of the Republic of Poland, Lech Kaczynski, and 95 other individuals onboard. This flight was communicated to the Russian Federation as a military flight. Flights of governmental Air vessels traveling in Russian Federation airspace, are regulated by Russian Federal Aviation Laws. According with the Russian Ministry of Defense regulatory laws, and specifically, the Clause from September 24, 2004, regulating the military flights, flight supervisors (ground controllers) are obligated, at their discretion, to approve, or to forbid, landing of military Air vessels. 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[64] and had been assigned the tail number 101.It was one of two Tupolev Tu-154s that served as official government jets; the other with a tail number of 102 was a year younger and at the time of the accident it was being overhauled in the Aviakor aviation plant in Samara, Russia. The "101" 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.[65] The crash happened 138 flight hours after the most recent overhaul.[66]
Technical installations at Smolensk North Airport
Smolensk North Airport, a former military airbase now in mixed military-civilian use, is not equipped with a Western-style instrument landing system (ILS). The Polish aircraft was modified to use the Western-style ILS.[67] A non-directional beacon system (NDB) is installed at the airport,[68] but such a system can be used only for a non-precision approach to the runway, as its antennas are situated on the opposite ends of the runway and thus give only basic directional information about a landing plane's position relative to the axis of the runway. Since it is a navigational aid, not a landing aid, it remains the crew's responsibility to keep track of the plane's altitude.[25]Airport and pilot communication
The airport's traffic control communicated with the pilots in Russian, and, according to one of the controllers, the Polish crew had problems communicating in this language.[23][69] However, according to Tomasz Pietrzak, the former commander of the Polish 36th Special Aviation Regiment, the pilot in charge of the flight Arkadiusz Protasiuk was fluent in Russian and English.[23][69] Protasiuk had landed in Smolensk three days before the crash, when he was part of the crew bringing Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to the 7 April ceremony, and at the time no communication problems with ground control were reported.[70]The airport, which should have normally been closed due to the severe conditions, was not declared closed as its management feared that this could cause a diplomatic incident.[71] According to the news agency Interfax, the pilot was told that Smolensk North 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.[72] According to an interview with a flight controller Pavel Plusnin[73] it was suggested to the pilot that he land at an alternative airfield in Moscow or Minsk. According to Plusnin, the pilot said, that he would attempt one approach, and if landing was not possible, he would then divert to another airfield.[23]
Theft from victims
On 6 June 2010, it was reported that payments worth €1,400 had been made from a credit card found on the body of historian Andrzej Przewoźnik, one of the victims of the crash. Credit cards belonging to the politician Aleksandra Natalli-Świat were also missing, but not used in transactions.[62] On 8 June 2010, ITAR-TASS reported that four soldiers of Unit 06755 had been charged in connection with the theft, after being found in possession of three credit cards used to withdraw a total of руб60,345 .[74] A Polish spokesperson said that the first withdrawals using the cards had been made around two hours after the crash.[75] The Polish government admitted that the soldiers involved in the theft were probably conscripts, and that earlier reports blaming members of Russia's OMON forces for the theft had been a mistake.[76]Notable passengers
In addition to Kaczyński and his wife Maria, and Ryszard Kaczorowski, the former last President of Poland in exile, 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, the civil rights commissioner Janusz Kochanowski, 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.[77]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)—at the time Bronisław Komorowski, who thus became Acting President of Poland.[78] Within two weeks he was obliged to announce the date of the popular presidential election, to be held within a further 60 days on a weekend. Kaczyński was up for re-election in late September or early October, before the end of his first five-year term.[79]Despite the deaths of the president and numerous officials, the crash was 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.[80] On 7 April, Tusk, along with government officials and members of his Civic Platform party, went to Katyn[81] on invitation from the prime minister of Russia, Vladimir Putin.[82] The official commemoration, organised 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:
- President Kaczyński himself,
- president of the National Bank of Poland, Sławomir Skrzypek,[83][84]
- chief of Institute of National Remembrance, Janusz Kurtyka,[85][86][87]
- Polish Ombudsman Janusz Kochanowski,[88]
- Jerzy Szmajdziński, the left-wing candidate[89] in the upcoming presidential election.
The Marshal of the Sejm, Bronisław Komorowski, had previously been announced as the Civic Platform's candidate in the presidential election.[91] He has suggested that the date of the elections should be decided by the parliamentary opposition,[92] with him acting merely to guarantee that the Constitution is respected.
On 17 April, one week after the crash, a memorial service, including a two-minute silence, was held to honour the victims of the crash. It was reported that over 100,000 mourners attended the event, held in Piłsudski Square; however, up to 1.5 million had been expected.[93][94]
State funeral
The funeral service for the presidential couple took place in Saint Mary's Basilica in Kraków on 18 April. The couple were buried in a crypt below Wawel Cathedral, a place traditionally reserved for people considered to be heroes of Polish history.[95]Presidential election
Main article: Polish presidential election, 2010
The first round of the election to elect President Kaczyński's successor was held on 20 June 2010. Since no candidate obtained an absolute majority, a run-off was held on 4 July 2010, between the two highest-polling candidates: the acting president Bronisław Komorowski, and the late president's brother Jarosław Kaczyński. In the second round of the election, Komorowski defeated Kaczyński with 53% of the vote.Reaction
Poland
A week of national mourning was declared in Poland.[96] Poles around the world mourned Kaczyński and set up shrines in the week that followed.[96][96][97][98] Many wept openly.[99] Flags flew at half mast in Poland.[100] Sports fixtures, including women's U-17 UEFA Championship elite qualifying phase game Poland versus Republic of Ireland in Ukraine, were postponed.[101][102] Concerts were cancelled.[102]
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.[103] Afterwards, the casket was laid in state at the Palace.[104] The casket remained there throughout the week, until Kaczynski and his wife were laid to rest at the Wawel Cathedral a full week after the crash, on 18 April.
A public noon commemoration ceremony in Warsaw's Piłsudski Square was attended by more than 100,000 people on 17 April. Sirens sounded and bells tolled around the country.[105] A three-gun salute was fired.[106] People waved the flag of Poland complete with black ribbons and the names of the those who died in the crash were read out from a white stage decorated with a giant cross and photographs of the dead.[107] The crowds bowed their heads.[108]
On 18 April, the couple's caskets were driven at a slow pace through the streets of Warsaw, passing the city hall and a museum dedicated to the 1944 Warsaw Uprising which Kaczyński favoured.[109] The funeral ceremony began at 2 p.m. local time (12:00 UTC) with a Mass held at Krakow's St Mary's Basilica, with thousands attending. Archbishop of Kraków Stanisław Dziwisz presided over the ceremony, and addressed President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev personally: "The sympathy and help we have received from Russian brothers has breathed new life into a hope for closer relations and reconciliation between our two Slavic nations".[110]
Former president Aleksander Kwaśniewski told TVN24 that "It [Katyń] 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 elite of the Third Polish Republic die in this tragic aircraft crash when approaching Smolensk North Airport."[111] Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated that, "The contemporary world has not seen such a tragedy".[112]
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, despite the lack of evidence that anything was wrong with the particular 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.[113]
Since the crash, conspiracy theories have spread in Poland about the cause of the disaster. Artur Górski, a Polish MP belonging to Kaczyński's Law and Justice party, claimed that the Russians in the Smolensk North Airport's control tower were ordered to keep the plane from landing so that the president couldn't attend the Katyń ceremony, resulting in the crash.[114] Górski apologized for his remarks, saying that he had been in a "state of shock".[115] In November 2010, Law and Justice members Anna Fotyga and Antoni Macierewicz travelled to Washington, D.C. with an open letter by Jarosław Kaczyński and a petition of 300,000 signatures from the Association of the Katyn Families 2010 (Stowarzyszenia Rodzin Katyń 2010), calling for the U.S. government to launch an independent international investigation into the crash. Fotyga, Macierewicz, and Jarosław Kaczyński have become critical of the Russian-led investigation, and have indicated suspicion that the Russians have engaged in a cover-up over the disaster; Polish government spokesman Pavel Gras called their action an "absolute scandal" and "on the verge of treason."[116]
Russia
Russians and foreigners laid flowers and candles at the Polish embassy in Moscow,[120][121] and at the Polish consulates-general in Saint Petersburg and Kaliningrad.[120]
After the aircraft crash, the state-owned mass market Russia Channel broadcast the film Katyń for the second time in Russia.[122] The film, which was not distributed in Russia,[123] was first shown in Russia on another state-owned channel, the less popular Kultura Channel on 2 April 2010.[124] 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,[125] and drew high audience numbers for the smaller channel,[126] with an estimated 100 million Russian viewers.[122]
While Polish commentators saw Putin's participation in the 7 April ceremony as a symbolic gesture, they were touched when Putin and Tusk paid tribute and laid flowers at the site of the 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.[127]
On 11 April, holding a bouquet of red roses, Putin was reported to have appeared truly distressed as he escorted Kaczyński's body to a Warsaw-bound plane. Later 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".[123]
The Russian response has been noted favourably by Poles, with talk of a thawing in the relationship between Russia and Poland.[128] 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."[121]
In an interview with Rzeczpospolita, Andrei Illarionov, Vladimir Putin's former advisor, noted, “…contrary to the promises, the investigation of this crash is neither transparent nor dynamic." and added, “…the Polish side does not have full and free access to documents and evidence.” Illarionov was also one of the signatories of an open letter written by Russian dissidents, which voiced concerns about the conduct of the investigation. According to the letter, “rapprochement with the current Russian authorities is more important for the Polish government then determining the truth about the plane crash.” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk responded that his government would obtain flight data from the Russian investigators before making its own judgment and revealing it to the public.[129]
International
Many countries, international organisations and other entities expressed sorrow and condolences to the people of Poland over the crash. A national day of mourning was proclaimed in the European Union and several countries.[130] Victims of the airplane crash were also commemorated by a minute of silence before several football matches throughout Europe.[131][132]Some concern arose that Kaczyński's funeral would have to be delayed as a consequence of volcanic ash emanating from Iceland and the resulting air travel disruption in Europe.[133] Only one airport in the country was open, and several international dignitaries were unable to attend.[134][135] The funeral nonetheless went ahead as scheduled.[136]
NATO was reportedly concerned over the possible compromise of many of its secret codes and communications procedures to the Russian government. Many of the Polish government and military officials on the aircraft apparently carried secret NATO communication key codes and devices which were recovered by the Russians after the crash.[137]
On 30 June 2010, New York Congressman Peter T. King called for an independent international investigation into the crash, citing issues including Polish access to the crash site, failure to surrender the black boxes, and the issuance of delayed commands to the pilots by the air traffic controllers.[138]
See also
 | Wikinews has related news: |
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to: 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash |
- Similar Polish aircraft accidents
- Similar non-Polish aircraft accidents
- List of Poland disasters by death toll
- List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft
- List of accidents and incidents involving military aircraft (2000–present)
- List of fatalities from aviation accidents
