Smolensk air disaster
2010 air crash near the city of Smolensk, Russia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
Accident | |
---|---|
Date | 10 April 2010 (2010-04-10) |
Summary | Controlled flight into terrain due to pilot error |
Site | near Smolensk North Airport Smolensk, Russia 54°49′26″N 32°03′05″E |
Aircraft | |
Aircraft type | Tupolev Tu-154M |
Operator | 36 SPLT, Polish Air Force |
ICAO flight No. | PLF101 |
Call sign | POLISH AIRFORCE 101 |
Registration | 101[1] |
Flight origin | Frédéric Chopin Airport Warsaw, Poland |
Destination | Smolensk North Airport Smolensk, Russia |
Occupants | 96 |
Passengers | 89 |
Crew | 7 |
Fatalities | 96 |
Survivors | 0 |
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, and eventually came to rest 200 metres (660 ft) short of the runway in a wooded area.