Crash: Polish Air Force T154 at Smolensk on Apr 10th 2010, impacted trees on first approach
By Simon Hradecky, created Saturday, Apr 10th 2010 10:25Z, last updated Sunday, Apr 11th 2010 15:57Z
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Polish Air Force Tupolev TU-154M carrying Poland's president Lech Kaczynski and his wife leading a delegation of high Polish representatives, registration 101 performing a states flight from Warsaw (Poland) to Smolensk [XUBS] (Russia)
with 88 passengers and 8 crew, was on approach to Smolensk North Airport's (Air Base) unmarked runway (runway heading approximately 270 degrees) in developing dense fog, when the airplane impacted trees about 1500-2000 meters short of the runway and crashed onto the ground coming to rest about 700 meters short of the runway threshold. All on board perished, the airpane was destroyed by impact forces.
Russian Authorities said, they found no survivors.
There were conflicting reports of 87 or 132 people on board. A passenger list produced by Polish Authorities contains 89 names, however one did not reach the aircraft.
There are conflicting reports, that the airplane may have gone around three times with the crew considering to divert to Minsk (Belarus, 170nm west of Smolensk) or Moscow (Russia, 200nm east of Smolensk) before attempting their fatal 4th approach.
Other reports say, that the crew was adivsed by air traffic control in Belarus to not continue to Smolensk due to fog, but to divert to Minsk and later, after hand off to Russian ATC, Russian Air Traffic Controllers recommended to divert to Moscow, the crew however continued to Smolensk. Other reports say, that the airplane was holding over Smolensk which was mistaken as attempts to approach the airfield and go-arounds. The air traffic controller at the Air Base said, the airplane attempted only one approach before radio contact was lost. (see below)
Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) responsible to investigate aviation accidents have dispatched a team of investigators led by the chairman of the MAK to Smolensk and confirmed airframe 101 having crashed.
On Apr 11th the MAK said, that the flight data recorders have arrived at a special laboratory and have been opened in the presence of Russian and Polish investigators. The tapes were found on the reels but out of the tape mechanism probably as result of the impact forces.
In the afternoon Russian Authorities said, that all bodies including the body of Lech Kaczynski have been recovered and are being taken to Moscow for identification. The flight data recorders have been recovered and are being analyzed. In a change of plans the bodies of Lech and Maria Kaczynski were identified in Smolensk and are on their way directly to Warsaw, where they arrived by Sunday (Apr 11th) afternoon.
Russia's Prime Minister pilinguin was briefed by local officials,
that the required horizontal visibility for the approach to the North Airport would have been 1000 meters with an actual visibility of 400 meters. The airplane impacted trees of a height of about 8 meters (26 feet) about 1200 meters (3950 feet) short of the airfield when the airplane should have been at a height of at least 60 meters (200 feet). The airplane continued to impact multiple single trees and was destroyed before the airplane impacted ground. Emergency responders reached the crash site within 3 minutes. An investigation team of 60 people is on scene.
The air traffic controller at Smolensk Air Base (Northern Airport) said, that the communication between him and the crew was done in Russian, the crew understanding Russian but not being fluent in the language and having trouble to do their readbacks. The airplane was on its first approach, when he advised of the deteriorating visibility and recommended to divert, the crew however responded, that they would give it one try and divert thereafter if they were not able to land. During the approach the crew stopped reading back, the aircraft subsequently impacted ground.
Polish officials confirmed, that the airplane was on its first approach to the Air Base, when it impacted the trees. Three flights were to land at the Air Base in that period of time: the first was a Yakovlev YAK-40 carrying journalists accompanying Poland's president, which made a safe landing. The second was a Russian Ilyushin IL-76, which diverted after two unsuccessful approaches. The third was the presidential Tupolev TU-154M.
No Metars are available, however the local weatherstation reported:
10:00Z (1pm) Temp 3°C Dew 2°C Humidity 94% QNH 1025 hPa Visibility 4 kilometers Winds east 14.4 km/h / Mist
07:00Z (10am) Temp 1°C Dew 1°C Humidity 98% QNH 1026 hPa Visibility 0.5 kilometers Winds SE 10.8 km/h / Heavy Fog 04:00Z (7am) Temp 0°C Dew -1°C Humidity 89% QNH 1025 hPa Visibility 4 kilometers Winds ESE 7.2 km/h / Mist
01:00Z (4am) Temp 3°C Dew -0°C Humidity 72% QNH 1025 hPa Visibility 10 kilometers Winds SE 7.2 km/h /
22:00Z (1am) Temp 6°C Dew -0°C Humidity 52% QNH 1025 hPa Visibility 10 kilometers Winds SE 7.2 km/h
The runway of Smolensk Air Base (Northern Airport, no IATA code, ICAO XUBS) with the orientation of
about 09/27 is 2500 meters/8200 feet long, the runway 08/26 of the civil Airport in the south of Smolensk (IATA LNX, no ICAO code however often referred to as UUBS) is 1600 meters/5250 feet long).
Russian route charts suggest, that the northern airport antiestéticatures a NDB (310kHz identifier BU), but no ILS, LOC or VOR.
Crash: Polish Air Force T154 at Smolensk on Apr 10th 2010, impacted trees on first approach
