Smolensk air disaster
The 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash occurred on 10 April 2010 when a Tupolev Tu-154M aircraft of the Polish Air Force crashed in the city of Smolensk, Russia, killing all 96 people on board. These included the President of Poland Lech Kaczyński and his wife Maria; the former President of Poland in exile Ryszard Kaczorowski, 18 members of the Polish parliament, and relatives of victims of the Katyn massacre.
| 250pxpx Wreckage from the Tu-154 at the crash site | |
| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 10 April 2010 |
| Summary | Controlled flight into terrain due to pilot error |
| Place | near Smolensk North Airport Smolensk, Russia 54°49′26″N 32°03′05″E / 54.82389°N 32.05139°ECoordinates: 54°49′26″N 32°03′05″E / 54.82389°N 32.05139°E |
| Passengers | 89 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Fatalities | 96 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Tupolev Tu-154M |
| Airline/user | 36 SPLT, Polish Air Force |
| Registration | 101[1] |
| Flew from | Frédéric Chopin Airport Warsaw, Poland |
| Flying to | Smolensk North Airport Smolensk, Russia |
Accident
They were en route from Warsaw to attend an event marking the 70th anniversary of the massacre. The site is about 19 kilometres (12 mi) west of Smolensk. The pilots attempted to land at Smolensk North Airport, a former military airbase, in thick fog that reduced visibility to about 500 metres (1,600 ft). The aircraft was too low as it approached the runway as a result of confusing instructions from the traffic controler. Striking trees in the fog, it rolled upside down, struck the ground, broke apart, engulfed in flames and eventually came to rest 200 metres (660 ft) short of the runway in a wooded area. The crash killed everyone on board.
Smolensk Air Disaster Media
- Tu-154-crash-in-smolensk-20100410-08.jpg
Russian servicemen, accompanied by a policeman, twist bulbs into the approach lights of Smolensk North Airport's runway, hours after the crash of the Tu-154
- 2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash map-en.svg
Map of the origin and destination of the accident flight
- Polish Air Force Tupolev Tu-154M Lebeda.jpg
101 landing at Prague Airport less than two days before the accident
- Warsaw National Tragedy 2010-04-10 (4).jpg
Crowds on the Royal Route, Warsaw
- Lublin after president Lech Kaczyński's plane crash, New Town Hall (02).jpg
Flowers and candles in front of Lublin town hall
- 11.IV.2010r.Grób Nieznanego Żołnierza-Warszawa.jpg
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, where flowers and candles were brought by Warsaw residents for the victims of the presidential plane crash
- Pomnik Ofiar Tragedii Smoleńskiej w Warszawie 2018b.jpg
Monument to the victims of 2010 Smolensk air crash, in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in Warsaw (2018)
Dmitry Medvedev and Vladimir Putin in church
Improvised memorial at the Russian crash site
References
- ↑ Ranter, Harro (10 April 2010). "ASN Aircraft accident Tupolev 154M 101 Smolensk Air Base". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
Other websites
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- "Findings of the Interstate Aviation Committee Safety Investigation of the Accident involving Tu-154M aircraft tail number 101 of the Republic of Poland on April 2010 near Smolensk "Severny" aerodrome." ( Archived 2011-07-20 at the Wayback Machine) Interstate Aviation Committee - Comprehensive link with reports and updates
- "Об окончательных результатах работы Технической комиссии Межгосударственного авиационного комитета по расследованию катастрофы самолета Ту-154М бортовой номер 101 Республики Польша, произошедшей 10 апреля 2010 г. в районе аэродрома Смоленск "Северный"." ( Archived 2015-08-10 at the Wayback Machine) Interstate Aviation Committee (in Russian) - Comprehensive link with reports and updates
- Final report in English, Polish, and Russian Archived 2012-11-23 at the Wayback Machine - Committee for Investigation of National Aviation Accidents
- Video reconstruction of flight (simulation, 36 min., rus) direct link (mp4)