'Non-crew in cockpit of Kaczynski plane'

Non-crew members were present in the cockpit of the plane of Polish President Lech Kaczynski before its fatal crash in Russia in April, aviation officials said yesterday.

Adding to questions about the Poland's worst post-World War II tragedy, the committee investigating the crash revealed the jet's crew had been repeatedly warned that weather conditions were not suitable for landing.

More than five weeks after the tragedy, investigators still did not offer concrete conclusions about its cause. However they said an act of terror, technical failure or an explosion have all been ruled out.

"It has been established that in the cockpit there were individuals who were not members of the crew," said Tatyana Anodina, head of the inter-state air committee which investigates crashes in the former Soviet Union.

"The voice of one of them has been identified exactly, the voice of the other, or the others, will require additional information from the Polish side," she added.

She did not offer further details over the identities of the individuals in the cockpit.

Ninety-six people including Mr Kaczynski, his wife and scores of senior Polish officials were killed in the crash on April 10 outside the western Russian city of Smolensk.

The crash of the Russian-made Tu-154 took place in heavy fog and investigators confirmed officially for the first time that the crew had ignored warnings from air traffic control not to land.