A Polish Aviation Accident Investigation Commission have released their final report in Polish, which agrees with the factual findings of the Russian report. The Polish commission concluded the probable cause of the crash was:
The descent below minimum descent altitude (MDA), with an excessive rate of descent, in atmospheric conditions which prevented visual contact with the runway. The decision to go-around was taken too late. This led to collision with terrain, the destruction of the left wing, consequently loss of control and loss of the aircraft.
Contributing factors were:
- unverified high barometric altimeter setting during a non-precision approach
- lack of reaction to TAWS warnings
- attempt to go around by pressing TOGA, which however was not armed
- tower ATC attempting to talk the aircraft down although the aircraft’s position was outside approach limits, the ATC instructions re-inforcing the crew’s belief they were conducting a proper approach
- failure of tower to inform the crew about being too low and instructing the crew to maintain level flight too late
- inappropriate/insufficient training of the crew on TU-154M aircraft
Unfavourable factors were:
- improper crew cooperation causing excessive load on the commander during the last phase of flight
- inadequate flight preparation
- insufficient knowledge of functions and limits of their aircraft by the crew
- improper monitoring of each other by all flight crew members, lack of corrective actions to mistakes
- incorrect selection of crew to perform the flight, íncorrect task assignment to crew members
- incorrect supervision of flight crew training
- the operator’s failure to set criteria for stabilised approach, runway and environmental requirements for various approach types, and crew cooperation
- the operator’s failure to ensure practical experience, especially at the Smolensk North aerodrome
http://www.avherald.com/h?article=429ec5fa/0034&opt=0
...Flight crew to gullible when listening to control tower comments...
I wait until the Polish FReepers come in with an opinion. Until then.....Ron Brown.