Response to We the People Petition on Smolensk Air Crash

Response to We the People Petition on Smolensk Air Crash

By Phil Gordon, Assistant Secretary of State for Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs

The White House has received your petition requesting support for an international investigation of the Polish Air Force Tu 154 crash that occurred near Smolensk, Russia, on April 10, 2010. The people of the United States share your grief over this tragedy and regret the loss of life, including that of President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria. As President Obama stated on that terrible day, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kaczynski family, the loved ones of those killed in this tragic plane crash, and the Polish nation. Today’s loss is devastating to Poland, to the United States, and to the world.” During his trip to Poland in May 2011, President Obama visited the memorial to the victims at the Field Cathedral of the Polish Military in Warsaw, and expressed his condolences to the families of those lost in the crash.

In response to your petition, we note that the Polish and Russian governments each conducted their own investigations. In conducting their investigations, Poland and Russia agreed to follow the protocols of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, which establishes the standards and recommended practices for civil aviation accident investigations. Both countries published the results of their investigations, which are available at the links below:

The Polish Committee for Investigation of National Aviation Accidents report published on July 29, 2011 (.pdf)

The Russian Interstate Aviation Commission (MAK) report published on January 12, 2011 (.pdf)

The United States again expresses its deepest condolences to the Polish nation and all of the families affected by this tragedy.

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