Polish President Lech Kaczynski and gov officials die in a plane crash in Russia

Quite the contrary - they may have attempted to go for it to show off to their superiors what they were capable of.

Plenty of experienced pilots would attempt an approach. That's the entire point of an instrument approach. The question is why did he descend below the minimums.

any how our friends to the East appear to be showing a great deal of compassion

focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n216317

A quick note for the conspiracy theorists, if you were going to wipe out the Polish President and his entourage, you couldn't really pick a worse time to do it, could you?

It does rather draw attention to the murders at Katyn during the second world war.

Reports from the Independent appear to confirm that the flight recorders were working fine and that they are being carefully examined as we speak, so hopefully we will soon know whether the pilot was being forced to land against his will.

An interesting obituary by the Economist: economist.com/world/europe/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15891381

interesting indeed. Thanks for the BB.

we only heard they could go to Moscow or Minsk, no mention in media of Vitebsk airport?
Strange as fcuk!!!

Of course, I couldn't know how and what it was happen, but from first day Russin TV told about 3 airoports-Minsk, Vitebsk and Moscow. I think they (Russians) couldn't lie because black boxes are in fine conditions. I don't remember but I think somebody from air force told it, not paparacci.

TIT

A pilot can divert to any airport he wants to. Vitebsk is pretty close and it was was one of the three suggestions

all over polish media they mention about Minsk and Moskow. Why not Vitebsk?

I posted an RIA Novosti simulation of the attempted landing...The simulation shows the plane exploding as it makes it's descent.

en.rian.ru/video/20100410/158515224.html

This isn't an obituary.... it is Tusk's own propaganda... Remember Sikorski's wife? She was an editor in the Economist. The whole Economist, is Jewish run, and supports PO

Good thing Poles remember that they elected Kaczynski in the majority. These things seem to be forgotten, and instead, some nit picking on President Kaczynski's character. Above all, he was a patriot who loved his country. That should be first and foremost.

Guess not many people know of Vitebsk. Neither of the airfields there have precision approaches though. I wonder what the alternate would have been. Based on the transcripts, the pilot was going to attempt an approach, and then divert. Guessing that would have been Moscow?

Sikorski's wife, Apflebaum, is also an editor at Washington Post, run by.......The Economist is Rothschild owned...This accident makes room for a Sikorski in not too distant future.

I am from Ireland and live in Poland and I would like to tell you how I see what is happening.

I am fairly detached from all of this because I don't vote here and try to avoid conversations about politics whenever possible.

I have seen more Polish flags, with black ribbons, today than all the times before added together. People are continuing with their daily lives with respectful resolve that I respect Polish people for it.

I have yet to meet anyone who actually voted for President Kaczyński, he seems to have been an old fashioned, conservative type and was a Polish patriot.

All of the Polish people I have spoken to have been touched by the respect that other world countries are showing. There is no conspiracy theories here, people believe it was a genuine accident and I find it disrespectful for all these trolls on this forum lately to spew their hatred but that is a different issue.

The Polish people I have spoken to are especially impressed by the reaction from Russia, there appears to be genuine concern and sympathy from both the Russian people and their Government.

I know this is a great tragedy but I see a lot of good in this, I think Poland has always been a thorn, of sorts, in Russia's shoe and seeing the image of Tusk and Putin embracing hopefully will lead to better relations in the future.

And although there are many people who didn't vote for President Kaczyński, his death has brought people closer together.

I think these deaths were intensified by a series of coincidences. Even though the president does not have much power in Poland (about the same amount of power as the Irish president). So many high ranking officials on the same plane that were going to commemorate the massacre of high ranking officials at Katyn just brought out so much in Polish people.

I can't turn on the radio here because it is people being interviewed and crying or very melancholic music but as a friend pointed out earlier, "When you have only one telephone call to the radio station, all your emotions come out". I am glad I don't have a TV ;)

But the Polish people are very strong and life continues not in a morbid way but with a new sense of energy and determination.

I was not going to post any photos on the ''PF photo contest'' thread but after walking around Krakow today I will because the people here continue their lives and that is the right thing to do.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

This is indeed encouraging and, for me, welcome.


As well it should. Again, for me, this is good news.

Thank you for your thoughts and observations...

in Krakow, conservative capitol of Poland?

word of Racowie >>>

Serbian PM signs book of condolences at Polish embassy

b92/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2010&mm=04&dd=12 &nav_id=66426

BELGRADE -- PM Mirko Cvetković signed the book of condolences at the Polish embassy in Belgrade, after the death of Polish President Lech Kaczynski.

No thank you...I as a German know to much about this kind of blame game, sorry!

One only knows what one is taught - and later, what one chooses to learn. Sorry, indeed.

please stop being patronizing to the rest of the readers.

Oh I know that killing off your smart people is bad news for your, for ANY country because you are going to miss them. In what way did it help Germany for example???

I would wish for smart Jews coming to Germany again...look with what we have to fight today...

solidarity from Ukraine >>>

Flags at half mast on Ukrainian ships in Sevastopol to mourn Polish president

Today at 12:38 | Interfax-Ukraine
kyivpost/news/nation/detail/63701/

Solidarity from the EU: in every memberstate the Flag will be halfmast to honour the Polish President. Before every EU-meeting there will be a two minute silence.

I would love to give a link, but it's in Dutch. But you can assume that it's true anyway.


That quote is not from a Jew, but from an Afro-American. And besides, in case you didn't know, Jews belong to the white race too. Words like this will never be used by any Jew therefore. And besides this, yet again demonize an entire ppl of what one individual expresses as his opinion? Surely if I look hard enough I can find some statement by somebody Polish that says that all Jews should be annihiliated; would that make the entire ppl of Poland look bad? No. It's just the opinion of one single person.

>^..^<

M-G (tiens)

R.I.P.!

Karmic_Koala (Minsk, Belarus -> San Francisco, California)

If it is found to be stubborness then who will take the flak for starting off late and hurrying the plane into an abrupt and dangerous landing?

I fear it will be the pilot because he has the last say and shouldn't had reacted to any pressure whatsoever!

What is really tragic because then his surviving family won't get any pension or other support, not to mention the psychological burden...:(

It'll be the dead pilot of course.


Not so sure about that. Anyway, you almost never end up with "The pilot was a f*ck up". That doesn't answer why it happened. Was it training, stress, rest, etc...

I'm sure.
As I said before I have a relative who worked for decades at the airport and knows all about it.

If it is found that the pilot is to blame the family loses every claim of the insurance and the airline doesn't has to pay a dime....

There are actually not many categories...it's always either "technical error", something like "unpredictable event" (like a terrorist attack for example) or "human fault"....and it doesn't matter why the "human" "faulted"....if it's called that then the pilot's family is busted!

M-G, da da! How did you know? ;) ;)

Just kidding, BB is right. The pilot seems to be at fault but he had the plane at an unnatural angle and you just don't do that when there are so many trees. You maintain a horizontal position and don't leave any margin for error. Also, they would have known if that plane was fit for that runway well in advance. That's why some flight paths aren't opened in the first place, despite there being a high level of demand. I've been in a plane where fog was causing some complications and had to circle round once again but composure helps. Pilots are trained not to panic and to take evasive maneuvers that don't jeopardise the safety of the crew.

As everyone else is saying, let's wait for the results of the investigation.