Air force tragedy

Three days of national mourning were announced last week following the crash of a military plane in Mirosławiec, Zachodniopomorskie voivodship.

The plane, an EADS CASA C-295M, was carrying air force officers who were returning from a conference on air safety. It had taken off from Warsaw and the Mirosławiec military airport was one of its last stops. The plane was on its second landing approach when it suddenly plummeted 100-150 meters. None of the 16 passengers and four crew members survived.

"The Polish air industry has not seen such a tragedy for years," said President Lech Kaczyński, who visited the crash scene. The Minister of National Defense, Bogdan Klich, said the families of the victims would receive financial help.

The crash cost the lives of experienced officers, including a brigadier general. Sejm Marshall Bronisław Komorowski said, however, that it would not weaken the capability of the Polish air force. "The military is a hierarchical institution, and every Commander has a Deputy Commander," he told Polish Radio. He stressed, though, that new regulations should be considered for the transport of high-ranking officers.

An inquest into the crash is expected to release details on the cause within 10 days, the head of the Polish air force, Lt General Andrzej Błasik told the press. Błasik said that although the landing guidance system was not working at the time of the crash, the plane had been using radar. He added that all safety and technical requirements had been met at that time.

The plane was produced by Spanish firm Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA in 2007. The Polish army has 10 such planes but all of them are serviced in Spain. Several days before the accident, Rzeczpospolita daily reported on an investigation by the Military Police into an alleged breach of the purchase contract, since the planes were supposed to have been serviced in Poland.

Błasik appealed for caution before drawing conclusions. "The outcome [of the investigation] may be surprising, and the speculations could harm somebody," he told the press.