Posted on 04/10/2010 8:47:28 PM PDT by myknowledge
Poland has been plunged into mourning by the deaths of President Lech Kaczynski and dozens of political and military leaders in a plane crash.
The jet crashed as it attempted to land at Smolensk air base in Russia in thick fog, killing all 97 people on board.
Russian officials have said the pilots ignored warnings from air traffic control to divert to another airport.
A week of mourning has been called in Poland where a two-minute silence will be held at noon (1000 GMT) on Sunday.
Russia has also declared Monday a day of mourning for the victims, whose remains have been flown to morgues in Moscow.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Actually the other way around, a pilot got his ass chewed for diverting and refusing to land in Tbilisi where the president wanted to land.
Sure wasn’t clear from the previous comment. That might make the pilot want to try the foolish approach. However I’d rather have my rear end chewed out than die.
This is horrifying and sad news. God bless our Polish friends, and the families of the lost. I sure hoped our nation would be the friend to Poland it deserves. I’m sorry about that, too. Hope we can make it up to you some day.
Very sad day for Poland. It really is a tragedy.
“Russian officials have said the pilots ignored warnings”
And Ozero said health care reform will reduce the deficit.
Even better, Putin is the one behind this explanation.
And what's this reasonable story? Pilot error - the pilot is carrying the entire top level of his country, yet none of these people (including trained military personnel) notice him trying and failing to land four separate times, and he never thinks to ask any of these people what they suggest, or tell them what the Russians are apparently suggesting - no, he just dumps his fuel and plows down into the fog for the fifth time...
Nothing going on here, move along.
The leadership isn’t pretentious and addicted to luxury living.
Of course it matters! We need to know why this crash happened!
Didnt know about the ATC advice and the aborted attempts.
Sad.
Its obvious the world is now on the edge.
Exactly. I have a very hard time believing that with the enormous number of top-level Polish officials on board, that any risky maneuvers would be taken or considered. You would have to assume the pilot to be one of Poland’s finest, wouldn’t you? Haven’t seen any links as to this pilot’s background, are there any available?
Occum’s razor suggests to me that Russia has decapitated the government and military of Poland in one fell swoop. Who in their right mind doesn’t feel a chilling of the heart, when hearing that Putin will be leading the “investigation?” It’s almost an in-your-face, intimidation type statement. I confess I’m not an expert on historical Pole/Russian relations, but I’ve been a foreign-policy news junkie (and freeper) since 9/11; this appears to me to be the Russian Bear making a bold move, knowing a weak American president will allow them to recapture their former glory without batting an eye.
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