Polish Official Says Putin Responsible for Plane Crash That Killed President

[Swordsmyth]

Poland's defense minister said Thursday that a plane crash that killed the nation's president in 2010 in Russia was preceded by two explosions on board, calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to "take responsibility for what happened." Antoni Macierewicz was reacting to words by Putin, who denied any explosions took place on board and urged Poland to stop investigating for any potential Russian role in the crash. Poland's President Lech Kaczynski, the first lady and 94 others were killed when the plane crashed on approach to airport in Smolensk, western Russia.
Macierewicz heads a commission re-investigating the crash and alleges it was preceded by two explosions, which, he says, would suggest that Russia played a role.
Earlier, commissions of Polish and Russian aviation experts concluded that the crash was an accident caused by errors made by the crew, who tried to land at a rudimentary military airport in dense fog. Polish experts also blamed faulty guidance by Russian flight controllers.
The new investigation was ordered by Poland's ruling Law and Justice party, headed by the late president's twin brother, Jaroslaw Kaczynski. He still wears black in a sign of mourning and rallies voters around the idea that the crash resulted from foul play.

More at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...10-plane-crash

[RJB]

There are a few unanswered questions to that crash. This could turn interesting.

[sparebulb]

A group of people who have so much difficulty with tasks such a replacing light bulbs should probably stay away from trying to operate aircraft in near zero visibility.

I suppose that it is to be expected that it seems like a conspiracy when important people die in plane crashes when it is so unsatisfying to accept that these crashes were caused simply by really bad piloting.

Paul Wellstone comes to mind. I love alternative media, but they just won't stop referring to his crash as being suspicious.

It really is not suspicious at all.

[Swordsmyth]

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was tired of hearing allegations from Warsaw that a 2010 plane crash that killed then Polish President Lech Kaczynski was the result of a Russian conspiracy, drawing a sharp rebuke from Warsaw.

Responding to a question from a Polish reporter at an annual news conference, Putin said it was time for Poland to move beyond the plane crash, turn a new page, and “grow up”.

Poland’s defence minister denounced Putin’s comments. “In the mouth of the leader of a country that is responsible for the Katyn genocide, as well as for the Smolensk tragedy, such words are really shocking,” Antoni Macierewicz told public radio PR 24, referring to a Soviet massacre of thousands of Polish officers and intellectuals during World War Two, as well as the Smolensk crash.
“President Putin should finally face the truth: two explosions which eventually destroyed the Tu-154 were incontestably identified by official expertise,” Macierewicz said.
The new investigatory commission created by Macierewicz said in April this year that blasts most likely tore the plane into pieces killing all 96 people seconds before it hit the ground.
It repeated allegations that Russian air traffic controllers had deliberately set the plane on the wrong descent path. Polish prosecutors said then they would press charges against two controllers. Moscow rejected the allegations.

More at: https://www.reuters.com/article/russ...-idUSL8N1OE6AY

[AZJoe]

"the plane was brought down by explosions on board ... two explosions which eventually destroyed the Tu-154" ... "Russian air traffic controllers had deliberately set the plane on the wrong descent path"

Which is it? A bomb caused the crash or bad ATC guidance caused it to crash? The political party's accusations are self-contradictory.
Seeing as how the plane took off from Poland and was in the air until it crash landed in zero visibility fog, any alleged explosive on the plane came from Poland.

The Polish government investigation concluded pilot error was responsible for the crash.

[sparebulb]

The wiki on the crash is a good read.

Only morons or hacks could make a Russian conspiracy out of this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_P...e_Tu-154_crash

[RJB]

The wiki on the crash is a good read.

Only morons or hacks could make a Russian conspiracy out of this.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_P...e_Tu-154_crash

Thanks. I look into this.

There are so many odd occurrences going on, this was one I never looked into. Mainly I remember seeing a video that supposedly recorded gunshots after the crash and supposedly the videographer was found dead shortly after.