THE Polish pilot hailed as a hero for his smooth emergency landing of a Boeing airliner remained modest yesterday in his first public appearance, saying he felt “huge relief” once his passengers evacuated the plane, but wondered whether he could have done better.

A passenger jet crashed in heavy fog and burst into flames on a main road in north-western Russia, just short of a runway whose high-intensity lights had failed, killing 44 people. Eight people survived.

A Russian investigation into the plane crash that killed Polish President Lech Kaczynski blamed the Poles, saying the crew was forced to land in bad weather by an air force commander who had been drinking.

NON-CREW members were in the cockpit of the plane of Polish president Lech Kaczynski before its fatal crash in Russia, officials said yesterday, raising fresh questions about the tragedy’s cause.

As Polish President Lech Kaczynski’s plane streaked toward disaster, at least two passengers visited the cockpit, others may have chatted on mobile phones that can obstruct navigation instruments and an under-trained crew faced heavy fog over challenging terrain.