On April 10, it marked 15 years since the Tu-154M aircraft disaster

On April 10, it marked 15 years since the Tu-154M aircraft disaster near Smolensk, involving a plane from the Polish Air Force. This tragedy was the deadliest in history in terms of casualties among state officials.

On that day in 2010, a delegation led by Polish President Lech Kaczyński was to visit the memorial complex near Katyn village, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the mass executions of Polish citizens by Soviet secret services. The flight was carried out aboard a Tu-154M (tail number 101), belonging to the 36th Special Transport Aviation Regiment named after the Defenders of Warsaw. It was scheduled to land at Smolensk North military airfield, the closest to Katyn.

As the presidential plane approached Smolensk, heavy fog enveloped the airfield, reducing visibility initially to 400 meters and then to 200 meters. Despite this, the crew decided to attempt landing with plans to perform a go-around if landing proved impossible. This landing approach was managed by a Russian military air traffic controller.

The technical investigation of the disaster was conducted by the Moscow-based Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC). According to its findings, at an altitude of 30 meters, the commander abruptly pulled up on the controls, and almost simultaneously, engine throttles were moved into take-off mode. Apparently, at this moment, the pilot unexpectedly saw the ground and tried to avoid the crash. However, the heavy aircraft continued descending. Around 1,100 meters short of the runway, it started hitting tree tops. It then struck a birch tree trunk with its left wing, breaking part of it off, causing the aircraft to roll sharply to the left. After traveling approximately another 340 meters, the Tu-154M crashed into the ground and was completely destroyed.

All 8 crew members and 88 passengers aboard died. Among the victims were President Lech Kaczyński and his wife, the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, commanders of all branches of the armed forces, deputy speakers of the Sejm and Senate, deputy ministers, other senior officials, prominent parliamentarians, religious leaders, and public figures.

The IAC commission placed responsibility for the disaster on the Tu-154M crew, suggesting they acted under psychological pressure from senior officials. The Polish side agreed that the accident was primarily caused by descending below the established weather minimums. However, Poland rejected most of the IAC's conclusions as unsupported, particularly the claim regarding psychological pressure. Additionally, Poland criticized the unprofessional actions of Russian air traffic controllers, whom the IAC had cleared of any wrongdoing.

Several alternative theories were proposed and even investigated in Poland, notably focusing on a possible onboard explosion. Although eventually refuted, many in Polish society continue to believe that the investigation into the Smolensk tragedy remains unresolved.