Air crash: Polish, Russian investigators examining flight data recorders
April 11th, 2010 - 6:46 pm ICT by ANISmolensk (Russia), Apr 11(ANI): Russian and Polish investigators are studying fragments of the plane, which crashed in Russia on Saturday killing Polish President Lech Kaczynski, his wife Maria and several other senior public figures.
The Russian Transport Ministry said that investigators have begun to decipher the flight data recorders of the military plane that came from Warsaw.
The recorders contain crew conversations and flight data, which is essential to determine the cause of the Tu-154’s crash, The Miami Herald reports.
All 97 people on board were killed when the plane crashed in thick fog while approaching Smolensk airport.
Meanwhile, a week of national mourning has begun in Poland, and a two-minute silence was held at noon local time on Sunday.
The Polish Foreign Ministry confirmed that along with the President and his wife, others on board included Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Andrzej Kremer, Army Chief Franciszek Gagor and National Bank President Slawomir Skrzypek.
Some 88 of the dead were members of a Polish state delegation, who were scheduled to attend events marking the 70th anniversary of the massacre in Katyn forest of 22,000 Polish officers by Soviet secret police.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the crash was the most tragic event of the country’s post-World War II history.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has appointed Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as the head of a commission to investigate the crash. (ANI)
- Poland begins week of mourning after Russian air crash - Apr 11, 2010
- Prince Charles to attend Poland President Kaczynski's funeral - Apr 15, 2010
- Poland rejects Russia's report on President Kaczynski's death - Dec 17, 2010
- Leaders at US summit to mourn Polish president's death - Apr 12, 2010
- Polish President among 87 killed in Russian plane crash - Apr 10, 2010
- No changes in Russia-Poland relations after plane crash report - Aug 04, 2011
- Poland partly blames Russia for presidential plane crash - Jul 29, 2011
- Experts study Polish president's plane records - Apr 11, 2010
- Russia sends Poland files on presidential plane crash - Apr 07, 2011
- Poland questions 300 in air crash probe - Sep 12, 2010
- Kaczynski's brother blasts Russian probe of plane crash - Jan 12, 2011
- Polish president and first lady among at least 96 dead in presidential plane crash in Russia - Apr 10, 2010
- Decision not to land at reserve airfield caused Polish plane crash - Jan 12, 2011
- Six dead in southern Russia plane crash - Mar 06, 2011
- Polish president's body reaches Warsaw - Apr 11, 2010
Tags: 70th anniversary, air crash, dmitry medvedev, donald tusk, flight data recorders, miami herald, minute silence, national mourning, polish officers, polish president lech, polish state, russian investigators, russian transport ministry, smolensk russia, soviet secret police, state delegation, thick fog, vladimir putin, world war ii, world war ii history