The pilots of the plane that crashed in Russia last week killing the Polish president and 96 others would have understood the situation three to five seconds before the plane hit the trees, Polish media reported
"According to investigators' estimates, the personnel of the presidential plane were able to understand that the catastrophe would happen within three to five seconds before the aircraft crashed," Polish Attorney General Krzysztof Parulski was quoted as saying on Wednesday.
A Soviet-made Tu-154 aircraft carrying a top-level Polish delegation, including President Lech Kaczynski and his wife, crashed as it attempted to land at Smolensk airport in thick fog on Saturday morning.
Russian investigators, experts and Polish specialists are jointly investigating the causes of the deadly crash. Polish military prosecutors, however, have opened their own investigation into the accident.
Parulski said the conclusion was based on the consideration that the plane was flying at a speed of 150-180 meters per second (540-650 km/h, or 335-400 mph).
WARSAW, April 15 (RIA Novosti)
