Probe Into Air Crash That Killed Poland's Kaczynski Finds No Traces Of Explosives

<p> Probe into air crash that killed Poland's Kaczynski finds no traces of explosives </p>< br />

<p>2013-03-08 06:40:22 GMT+7 (ICT) </p><br /> <p>MOSCOW, RUSSIA (BNO NEWS) -- A new forensic probe by Russian and Polish investigators into the 2010 plane crash that killed Polish President Lech KaczyÅski and 95 others has found no traces of explosives, officials said on Thursday, discarding conspiracy theories about the cause of the disaster.<br /></p><br /><p>Vladimir Markin, a spokesman for Russia's Investigative Committee, said its investigators, working with representatives of Poland's Military Prosecutor General's Office, collected more than 300 samples which underwent various forensic examinations in both Russia and Poland to find traces of explosives.<br /></p><br /><p>"The seized objects were examined by Russian and Polish experts in trasology, physical metallurgy, and pyrotechnics using special technical means," Markin said, adding that investigators focused in particular on the trunk of birch which the aircraft collided with. "The results show that there are no traces of an explosion on the examined objects."<br /></p><br /><p>In addition to samples from the scene, investigators from both countries also examined fragments of the aircraft. "These investigating operations were carried out as part of implementing a request of the Polish Military General Prosecutor's Office on legal assistance," the spokesman explained.<br /></p><br /><p>The accident occurred in April 2010 when a Polish Air Force Tupolev Tu-154M crashed near the city of Smolensk in Russia. Polish President Lech Kaczynski was among 96 people who were on their way to Smolensk for the 70th anniversary of the massacre of Polish prisoners of war in the village of Katyn. There were no survivors.<br /></p><br /><p>A previous investigation by Russia's Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK) found the crash was mainly the result of errors by the Polish crew. The Russian report listed a number of contributing factors to the accident, including the crew's decision not to land at another airport despite being informed of unfavorable weather conditions at their destination.<br /></p><br /><p>But the Polish government, which has carried out its own investigation, has repeatedly criticized the Russian report and instead blamed Russian air controllers for the tragedy. Meanwhile, some conspiracy theories have blamed the cause on an in-flight explosion, but no evidence to support such a theory has been found.<br /></p> <p>

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