RIP: Lech Kaczynski (President of Poland)

[Thrift Store Scott]

cbelt3 wrote:
Wow. We take a lot for granted in the US. Air Force One, the secret service, keeping our President safe. And this gentleman, President of a 2nd/1st world industrial nation, member of the EU, was flying to Russia in a beat up old Tupolev that was held together with duct tape. (think DC-9)

Actually, design-wise a Tu-154 would be more comparable to a 727 than a DC-9 since it's a "trijet" (three-engined aircraft), although all three were introduced in the 1960s. However, unlike the 727 and DC-9, modernized versions of the Tu-154 were still in production as recently as 1998.
http://www.airliners.net/aircraft-data/stats.main?id=376

Don Kiyoti wrote:
It seems like a case of "get-there-itis" either on the part of the pilot of the aircraft or the President himself.

Indeed.
From the linked article:
The Investigation Committee said the plane, a Tupolev-154, was trying to land in heavy fog. A Russian military official said that air traffic control in Smolensk had tried to divert the plane to another airport because of inclement weather.
"The air traffic control officer gave several orders to divert but the plane continued with its descent," said Alexander Aleshin, a top Russian air force official. "Unfortunately, this ended in tragedy."