In the 15th anniversary of the fatal Smolensk air crash, people are still haunted by the fact that 96 people have died, including Polish President Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria, in addition to several senior political and military figures.
The accident was beyond tragic but turns out, it was one that could have been avoided, as per the onboard transcripts.
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What happened during the flight
Polish Air Force captain Arkadiusz Protasiuk, co-pilot Major Robert Grzywna, navigator Lieutenant Artur Ziętek, and engineer Andrzej Michalak were the ones managing the plane.
During the flight from Warsaw, Poland to Smolensk, Russia, the weather drastically changed, hindering the captain and his crew’s vision, having had visibility to only 200 meters, as reported by The Guardian.
Local air traffic controllers warned the crew
The local air traffic controllers warned Protasiuk about the weather condition and advised him to divert his course to a separate airfield.
However, Protasiuk informed the air traffic controllers that he would still proceed with his planned landing.
The captain attempted a “trial” approach
The captain explained to the air traffic controllers that he would proceed with a “trial” approach and thanked them for their input.
“If it’s fine, we will try landing but if weather conditions are bad we re-ascend and make a second circle,” Protasiuk told them, as per The Mirror.
Things took a south turn
The plane suddenly dropped to a dangerously low altitude and the onboard warning system kept buzzing at them: “Pull up, pull up … terrain ahead.”
Unfortunately, by the time the crew tried to pull up, it was too late. The aircraft could not “re-ascend for a second circle,” which led to its demise.
The plane met its demise
At 10:45 am, the Tuploev 154 military vessel plummeted into a wooded area. The plane rolled and flipped over then burst into flames.
It was first unknown what went down exactly but investigators unveiled what happened in the cockpit during the final 15 minutes of the flight.
Both countries blamed each other for the accident
Both Poland and Russia blamed each other for the crash. However, On the 15th anniversary of the Smolensk disaster on April 10, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk shared a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
“Memory of the Smolensk disaster and its victims should no longer divide us. Rebuilding community and mutual respect is possible and necessary, even though it remains very difficult. Let’s try. This is the tribute they deserve. May they rest in peace,” he wrote.