They were "en route" from Warsaw to attend an event marking the 70th anniversary of the massacre. The site is about west of Smolensk. The pilots attempted to land at Smolensk North Airport, a former military airbase, in thick fog that reduced visibility to about . The aircraft was too low as it approached the runway as a result of confusing instructions from the traffic controler. Striking trees in the fog, it rolled upside down, struck the ground, broke apart, and eventually came to rest short of the runway in a wooded area.