Russia Rules Out Techical Failure In Crash

Russian investigators have ruled out technical problems as a cause of the plane crash that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski.

Russia's chief investigator Aleksandr Bastrykin said that "there were no technical problems with the plane." Bastrykin said the recordings of the plane's communications with air traffic control revealed the pilot had been warned that thick fog over the airport created complex landing conditions, but landed anyway. 

Bastrykin added, however, that evidence from the plane's flight data and voice recorders would be studied in greater detail in Moscow.  Russia's investigative committee earlier said it was cooperating closely with its Polish counterparts to determine the cause of the crash.

compiled from agency reports