Search for cause of Smolensk disaster continues (Location of beacon being looked at)

Polskie Radio ^ | April 26th, 2010 | Reviewed by Slawek Szefs

[theanchoragedailyruse]

The location of beacons at the military airfield in Smolensk is not standard, informs RZECZPOSPOLITA.

The paper speculates this might have led to the pilot’s misinterpretation of the actual flight level, which caused the tragic accident of the Polish presidential plane on April 10th. Typically, such beacons are placed 1 and 4 kilometers from the start of the landing strip. This is only partially true at Smolensk, because their location on one side of the airport is 1 and 6 kilometers, respectively. This could certainly explain why on the fatal day the plane had descended to barely a few meters above ground level almost one and a half kilometers short of the runway. Three days earlier the same pilot, flying the same machine, with the Polish PM on board approached from the other side where the beacons are at standard distance. His personal experience coupled with lack of information on the difference between the two approach routes and extreme conditions of dense fog could have brought the tragic effects, is the attempted conclusion.

[theanchoragedailyruse]

So if the PM landed on the opposite end of the runway; this makes me wonder what end of the runway the plane carrying the polish press landed on.

Given their arrival time (9:15), the R/H and obs points to fog. http://www.wunderground.com/history/station/26781/2010/4/10/DailyHistory.html?req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NAAt another location in Smolensk the following weather conditions were reported.

7:00 AM 33 °F 31 °F 89% 30.28 in 2 miles ESE 4.5 mph - - Mist

10:00 AM 34 °F 34 °F 98% 30.29 in 0 miles SE 6.7 mph - - Fog Heavy Fog

1:00 PM 37 °F 36 °F 94% 30.28 in 2 miles East 8.9 mph - - Mist

At this location, 7:00 AM, the visibility is 2 miles.

Weather obs during the landing of the plane carrying the polish press are not available.

Given the continuity in weather observations before the planes arrival and the one wx ob 1/2 hour before the president's plane landed, it is odd that no wx obs are available that are near the time when the polish press landed at about 9:15.

There is no data to verify the statements made by the Russians that the weather was good enough for the plane carrying the polish press to land.

But the 7 AM obs at the location, shows visibilty lowering to 2 miles with fog.

As to the beacon... On the 26 end, this military vehicle was observed.

The rest is at the link below.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2498785/posts

There is speculation that the military vehicle on the approach end is part of a new radar system that was sent at the request of Putin for the arrival of the PM.

The radar is said to have jamming capabilities and ATC support.

There was some concern that the radar was not used for the president's arrival.

[icwhatudo]

Interesting. IIRC there was an issue with beacons in the Ron Brown crash as well. Something about a portable beacon being stolen just days prior to the crash.

[autumnraine]

Polish Ping!

[autumnraine]

There was additional safety devices installed a few days earlier when Prime Minister Tusk arrived. These were removed before the President’s arrival.

Why on earth would Russia do that knowing the important plane was arriving that day?

[Incorrigible]

Ping

[Ben Hecks]

IIRC there was an issue with beacons in the Ron Brown crash as well.

That thought crossed my mind also.

[maica]

Weather obs during the landing of the plane carrying the polish press are not available.

####

And discussion of this tragedy has gone totally silent in the US state-media. I never even knew that a plane carrying the press had landed at Smolensk that day, or that the pilot had landed at that same airport so recently before the fatal day.

[maica]

Ping for news not “known” to the so-called mainstream media.

[Travis McGee]

It’s a very interesting thought, that evil forces could cause a crash in low visibility by tampering with nav beacons. Ron Brown does indeed come to mind.

[maica]

I wonder who was the driving force behind the VIP list on that plane. From the scarce reporting heard here, it seems that one needed to be very high in Polish society/culture to be included on that plane. Could ‘helpful’ suggestions have been made by Poland’s “friends” in Russia?

[Travis McGee]

I have no idea, but there does seem to be an established pattern of the president of Poland hectoring pilots into landing under dangerous conditions.

[BloodnGuts]

That picture also shows the first tree that was clipped - it is the middle birch with a flat top way in the back.

It is also suggested that the trails through the grass actually show that the landing gear briefly touched down after clipping the birch that was about 10’ tall.

I just dont see how they did not see the ground given 400 meters of visibility - which is confirmed in the video at 45 seconds. The camera pans away from the smoke and you can really see quite a distance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeFPHDxOXYo&feature=player_embedded

[RushIsMyTeddyBear]

Thanks for the ping! :)

[theanchoragedailyruse]

The the brief analysis of the cockpit recorder proved that rumor to be false in this situation.

The initial rumor was started by one person.

[Travis McGee]

Which rumor? There are several in this story.

[theanchoragedailyruse]

This one:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/11/poland-president-plane-crash

It was a rumor that was start by one individual... Then it was widely reported as was the rumor that was started in this case but never happened.

And the rumor this time was widely reported as fact...

Then in this latest case, you had a few stories published that the rumor was unture.

Try to find how many stories are reporting the information on the beacon or the fact that the TAWS was either shut off or was blocked....