Tupolev 154

Tupolev 154 is one of most search today after a Tupolev 154M carrying the Polish President Lech Kaczyński, his wife, and high ranking government and military officials crashed upon landing at Smolensk-North air base in Russia killing all of the 97 passengers 10 April 2010.

The Tupolev Tu-154 is a Soviet medium-range trijet airliner designed in the mid 1960s. One of the notable civilian aircraft of its era, the Tu-154 has been the mainstay 'workhorse' of Soviet airlines for several decades, servicing well over a sixth of the world's landmass and carrying about half of the passengers flown by Aeroflot and all its subsidiaries over that period. The aircraft has been exported and operated by about 17 non-Russian airlines, as well as a number of non-Russian Air Forces. It remains the standard airliner for domestic routes across Russia and other states of the former Soviet Union (CIS).