Quotes (from Smolensk forum)
First the board passes Far Beacon with Marker (DPRM), this is the beg. of going into landing, at that in the pilot cabin there works a sound signal, the height is controlled by height meter, then follows the stage of lowering to 60m (The Height of Decision Taking), this height the vessel should have above the Near Beacon with Marker (BPRM); when it passes it it is also confirmed by sound and light signal. In this case the crew clearly didn't hear the BPRM signal. From the Near Beacon to the butt-end of the runway are located lights of nearing with which the Kommander should establish visual contact if visibility of the runway is limited. (explaininhg to someone how it is in Smolensk airport)
- Chaps, I listened to the tape only once. The trees they haven't seen, were shouting each other some numbers. Were losing height unexpectedly and quickly.
-If to take time from when Belorussians passed them over to crash it's 36 minutes. 4 minutes flight, 3 ?swirls ? over the point this is 12 minutes and 20 minutes for one attempt to land.
-There was a connection, the crew had where and with what to say about their problems, why did they keep quiet?
- And of what they would talk, that the plane, most likely, lost a part of the wing console, is making a "barrel" at the height of 10 m? Because before that their only problem was they went on at the height of several metres. But this problem they'd have managed themselves - if they would know about it!
- Technical commission: It's established that the place of first touch with the trees is 1,050 m away from the runway butt-end (area of Near Beacon) and away left from the course by approx. 40-45m. In 200m there was a clash of the plane with a tree.
(so at the Near Beacon they were at 8 m height instead of 60)
- I think this piece of the wing could have torn away later, when the plane was already going over the road, as it cut the tree with the wing, began craning, and on the other side of the road it tore off away completely. Before the fall the plane turned over 180 degrees that is it fell tail down, there at the sputnik photo the mark on the ground is well seen, that's why of passangers no one survived, they were covered from above.
:o(