Also, what needs to be said, Protasiuk (PIC of flight to Smolensk) was about to retire and switch to being a civilian pilot. He probably did not want to go through years of court marshal like the previous pilot who refused Kaczynski's idiotic orders in a quite famous incident a few years back.
Pure B.S. based probably on some press "facts". He was waiting for a promotion. The Tbilisi flight story never get to the court.
Arrakis