The accident killed all 96 people on board including the Polish President Lech Kaczynski.
Tu-154M serial 101 c/n 90A837 was built in 1990 by Tupolev in the then USSR. In the late 1980s the Polish state airline LOT had taken delivery of 13 new build Tu-154M airliners registered as SP-LCA to SP-LCN.
Aircraft 90A837 was origianlly delivered to the Polish Air Force 36 splt ( VIP transport unit ) in Warsaw in the same white/blue colour scheme as the LOT Tu-154M aircraft but with Republic of Poland titles and Polish Air Force roundels and serial as 837.
A second Tu-154M was delivered to the Polish Air Force in 1994 - this aircraft was built in 1990 and was a former LOT aircraft ( ex SP-LCO ) with c/n 90A862. This aircraft was also painted white/blue ( basic ex LOT c/s ) and used the Polish Air Force serial 862.
By the early 1990s both Polish Air Force Tu-154M were re-painted into an attractive white/red colour scheme and the two aircraft were re-serailed as 101 ( c/n 837 ) and 102 ( c/n 862 ).
At the time of the fatal crash of aircraft 101 it was said to have flown 5,004 flight hours and made 1,823 landings.
The second Tu-154M serial 102 is currently believed to be away on overhaul in Russia .
External Link to Tu-154M c/n 837 with serial 837 in 1994 in white/blue c/s
External Link to Tu-154M c/n 837 with serial 101 in 2008 in white/red c/s
The body of President Lech Kaczynski was flown back to Warsaw, Poland on Sunday 11th April 2010 in Polish Air Force Casa 295M serial 020.
photo of Casa 295M serial 020 arriving at Warsaw 11.4.2010 - by TVP / I Sobieszczuk
Steve
