Presidential Tupolev crew asked for a Russian navigator - Warsaw Business Journal - Online Portal - wbj.pl
Ptkay,
In answer to your question on the Russian navigator...
Pilots responsible for transporting Prime Minister Donald Tusk and President Lech Kaczyński to Smolensk had requested the assistance of a Russian navigator as early as March 18.
In the same letter, the pilots asked for technical data regarding the Smolensk airport.
The documents were sent out to the Polish embassy in Moscow as well as Poland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
But no Russian navigator flew with PM Tusk on April 7 or Mr Kaczyński on April 10.
Reczpospolita journalists have yet to get answers as to why that was the case. They want to know whether Russia declined the request, whether Poland made the request too late, or whether the pilots' requests were sent to Moscow at all.
To date, the paper has received no answers from the authorities.