Posted on 04/11/2010 7:20:06 PM PDT by myknowledge
A leading Polish defence analyst says late president Lech Kaczynski was well known for ordering pilots to land in dangerous conditions.
The Polish leader was one of 97 people killed when his Russian-built Tupolev Tu-154 came down in thick fog near the Russian city of Smolensk on Saturday on its fourth attempt to land.
Russian officials are investigating whether pilot error was to blame.
Mr Kaczynski's delegation was headed to a memorial service in Katyn for 22,000 Poles who were massacred by Soviet secret police during World War II, a historic wound which has still not healed despite the passage of 70 years.
During the Russia-Georgia conflict, Mr Kaczynski flew to Tblisi to support the Georgian leader.
Air traffic control instructed the pilot not to land in a combat zone but the president ordered him do so anyway.
Leading Polish defence analyst Gregorsh Haldanowich says that this time the pilot would have again been under pressure to land against the advice of air traffic control.
"The pressure of the day, the pressure of the 70th anniversary of the Katyn Massacre - the ceremony was so huge that all aboard the aircraft wanted very much to land," he said.
Poles fell silent across the country on Sunday as they mourned Mr Kaczynski and top officials killed in the fiery crash.
Mr Kaczynski's body is now lying in state in the presidential palace after being brought back to Warsaw from Russia.
Thousands of people lined the streets of the capital to greet the motorcade as it accompanied his coffin on its way to the palace.
Tried to land in thick fog: A Russian serviceman stands guard near part of the wreckage.
Ordering pilots to land in dangerous conditions. Not even U.S. presidents would have ordered Air Force One pilots to land in dangerous conditions.
RIP His Excellency Lech Kaczynski, President of the Republic of Poland, 1949-2010.
First it was fog.
Then it was Pilot error.
Then it was a President that demanded unsafe landings.
Dumping fuel?
Pres replace by Pol friendly to Putin?
This simply does not pass the smell test at this point.
Gregorsh Haldanowich
Who is this guy, he doesnt come up on any search engines I tried. And why is he so quick to support the Russian officials’ abili— err, story, of what happened, before the ivestigation is completed?
Just because Mr. Kaczynski once ordered a pilot to land in a war zone (obviously a brave decison) doesnt mean he would put all those lives at risk in what was essentially a non-emergency situation.
This whole explanation sounds like the makings of a Russian coverup. Govts. seems to be getting good at covering up aviation disasters, and they have had practice doing so.
Agreed. I smell a rat here and probably a Russian one.
I think it’s creepy as heck that Putin has decided to personally head the investigation into this crash.
Bush did it when he went to Bagdad for a surprise Thanksgiving dinner visit.
Whatever else you might think of Putin and Russian leaders, they simply are not stupid enough to have any sort of a hand in this one. There is no possible benefit to them which could justify the risk.
“Just because Mr. Kaczynski once ordered a pilot to land in a war zone ..”
Reminds me of when Hillary landed in Bosnia with all that sniper fire. Oh wait. Never mind.
I wonder what the make up of the people on board was, I bet that it wasn't just everybody.
They could be covering up the cause of the crash, and their ulterior motive of assassinating President Lech Kaczynski.
However our military controlled the airport and there was no fog.
Yes, that is the point.
WARSAW, Poland — Polish President Lech Kaczynski, who died Saturday in a plane crash in Russia, was a one-time anti-communist activist who teamed up with his twin brother to take his country in a nationalist, conservative direction.
Kaczynski was a firm friend of Poland’s Jewish community, which has enjoyed a revival in recent years after it was nearly wiped out in the Holocaust and later suffered from communist-era repression.
Bush flew one from Waco to Andrews AFB. Bush then transferred to the second one (the twin) because AF1 could not make it nonstop from Texas to Baghdad.
They did not use the name AF1 and said they were a Gulfstream. The plane was sighted in London by someone but luckily nothing came of it. The plane landed at night.
The real worry was getting out because word would spread the President was there. Once they got above 10,000 feet everything was okay because they were out of range of the surface to air missiles.
It was a great program and I am sure it will be repeated.
Only a few people knew he was going to Baghdad. It was very hush hush.
The second AF1 plane that took Bush to Andrews from Waco also headed to the Mideast as a backup and landed at a secret location.
Barely 24 hours after the disaster it was announced today there were no technical issues. Yep. That was quick.
What about preventing the development of a massive oil field in Poland that would draw revenue from their monopoly?
Like the Captain of a ship; the pilot of an aircraft is in complete control.
His judgement on landings or go-arounds is the last and only word.
I will suppose, that any future talks about shield missile systems- are now firmly dismissed.
Well, yeah, up to a point. Pressure to keep a schedule, get an official/VIP to a meeting, avoid timing out....all are things that have forced hired pilots to bust minimums with bad results.
I have followed crash investigations for over 40 years. This isn't the first time a bullied pilot fornicated the canine...and it won't be the last.
Much less likely to occur with legacy carriers, so take care who you fly with.
There was the risk of missiles firing at the plane. Also, nobody knew he was coming. I would call that dangerous.
“Stupidity cannot be cured with money, or through education, or by legislation. Stupidity is not a sin, the victim can’t help being stupid. But stupidity is the only universal capital crime; the sentence is death, there is no appeal, and execution is carried out automatically and without pity.”
Lazarus Long
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