Fury as Poles blamed for air crash

A RUSSIAN report into an air crash that claimed the lives of the Polish president and 95 other people has met with condemnation in Poland, with allegations of lies and claims it made a "mockery" of the country.

The report by Russia's interstate aviation committee yesterday provoked an angry response in Poland after it attributed the blame for the disaster to the pilots of president Lech Kaczynski's official flight.

Mr Kaczynski's plane crashed in fog on 10 April last year as it approached Smolensk airport in Russia, killing all on board, including dozens of the Polish political, military and civic elite.

Jaroslaw Kaczynski, the late president's twin brother, led the assault on the report, saying it "had made a mockery of Poland" by blaming the Polish crew and absolving Russia of any guilt.

"This is the result of leaving the investigation in the hands of the Russians," said the bereaved twin, who still wears a black tie in mourning. "Many questions remain unanswered."

The Russian crash committee revealed that crew wanted to avoid angering the president by aborting a landing attempt, and that the commander of the Polish air force was in the cockpit when the plane crashed. The report said enough alcohol was in his blood to impair judgment.

"The presence in the cockpit of high-ranking officials … put psychological pressure on crew members," said committee chairwoman Tatiana Anodina.