Polish president + senior officials killed in plane crash

[andyandy]

How long before the conspiracy theories start? :boxedin:

The Polish president, Lech Kaczynski, and his wife were among 96 people killed when their plane crashed in thick fog on its approach to a regional airport in Russia early this morning.

The governor of the west Russian town of Smolensk confirmed there were no survivors from the Tupulov Tu-154 plane, which came down at 11am (7am GMT) about a mile (1.5km) from Smolensk airport.

"The Polish presidential plane did not make it to the runway while landing. Tentative findings indicate that it hit the treetops and fell apart. Nobody has survived the disaster," Smolensk governor Segei Anufriyev told the Russia 24 news channel.

The Polish government will hold an emergency meeting later today. Officials said the head of the Polish army, the governor of the central bank and the head of the presidential administration were also on board the plane, as well as Kaczynski, his wife and the families of other senior officials.

"The plane caught fire after the crash," said a Polish foreign ministry spokesman in Warsaw. Teams began attempting to pull out passengers from the badly damaged airplane."

The pilot was told Smolensk airport was closed because of thick fog, according to the news agency Interfax. He was offered a choice of landing instead in either Moscow or Minsk, the capital of Belarus. But he decided to continue with the original flight plan and land at Smolensk.

The pilot made three unsuccessful attempts to land before the crash. On the fourth try and plane fell apart, Interfax said, citing officials at Smolensk's interior ministry.

Russia's foreign ministry confirmed the cause of the air catastrophe was bad weather. "According to provisional information the crash happened because the plane failed to land at the military airport near Smolensk in conditions of severe fog,' one official said.http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/10/poland-president-lech-kaczynski-killed

[240-185]

In France, some leftists enjoyed his death, because of his liberal positions and his strong support for USA.

[andyandy]

In France, some leftists enjoyed his death, because of his liberal positions and his strong support for USA.

didn't he have quite an il-liberal position on social issues? Bit of a right-wing homophobe if i remember....

[ddt]

didn't he have quite an il-liberal position on social issues? Bit of a right-wing homophobe if i remember....

Absolutely. Together with his twin brother, who was for a time Prime Minister, and still is leader of the right-wing party.

[r0ast_p0tat0es]

He wasn't a particularly noble leader, but this is still a tragedy for Poland. He WAS quite anti-Russian, which is not an entirely bad thing considering contemporary Russian foreign policy.

[Polaris]

How long before the conspiracy theories start? :boxedin:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/10/poland-president-lech-kaczynski-killed

I don't think they actually had anything to do with it, but I'd find it hard to believe there weren't some very powerful Russians who jumped for joy when they heard the news.

That's my guess as to where any CTs will start to fester.

Until I hear otherwise, I consider this a tragedy caused by pilot error, mechanical failure, or both.

He wasn't a particularly noble leader, but this is still a tragedy for Poland. He WAS quite anti-Russian, which is not an entirely bad thing considering contemporary Russian foreign policy.

For the Poles, just about all of modern Russian history is cause to be anti-Russian.

[r0ast_p0tat0es]

Some things never change, and most can be found in Russia.

[Darat]

This will be a test for Poland's democratic structures - hope they can cope.

[Francesca R]

The Warsaw stock market is up today.

I believe the constitution is well structured to facilitate transitional power.

[Darth Rotor]

The Warsaw stock market is up today.

I believe the constitution is well structured to facilitate transitional power.
Here is a macabre thought for someone with far less cleverness than he suspects he has:

"President dies, stock market goes up. Therefore, killing a president will make a stock market go up, so the way to get rich quick is ..."

No, it's crap to zero logic, but somebody may act on such an idea.

Why do I say this? There is a great deal more stupid in the world than not.

Gaaaaaaaaaah! :(

DR

[Praktik]

In France, some leftists enjoyed his death, because of his liberal positions and his strong support for USA.

really? Got a link?

[andyandy]

Until I hear otherwise, I consider this a tragedy caused by pilot error, mechanical failure, or both.

.

intial reports that maybe the PM over-ruled the pilot and told him to land against his better judgement.....

apparently the PM had previous in this.....

[Polaris]

intial reports that maybe the PM over-ruled the pilot and told him to land against his better judgement.....

apparently the PM had previous in this.....

I'd still chalk that up to pilot error. Which is worse, being fired or being dead? Unless the President of Poland was physically trying to grab the controls, the pilot should be in control of the plane. A plane can be flown by instrument in case of poor visibility - that's what the instruments are there for.

[Skeptic]

In Israeli jokedom, the "Polish mother" is the equivalent of the "Jewish mother" in America. The new joke about this is that, just before the crash, the pilot radioed, "Oh, never mind, don't bother lighting the landing strip just for us. We can manage landing alone in the dark..."