Transcript for ARCHIVAL VIDEO: Polish President Dies in Plane Crash in 2010

Poland's prime minister burst into tears when he heard the news today that his country's president. Was killed in a plane crash an aging jet carrying Poland's president his wife and much of the polish government's leadership. Crashed early today while trying to land in dense fog in western Russia. And tonight we are learning more about the pilot of that plane being strongly advised not to land. We begin on this story would our senior foreign correspondent Jim shrill. The jet filled from the sky and with it a large part of Poland's most senior leadership. The pilot tried to land in the thick fog at least points missing the runway and ignoring the control tell was direction to divert to another city. Secular them up to this is one of the greatest tragedies in the history of our nation prime minister Donald Tusk said. The modern world has not seen a drama like this. On board were Poland's elite president Lech Kaczynski seen here on the scene plane recently his wife the military chief of staff. The Central Bank chief. Several members of parliament as well as heroes of Poland's anti Soviet who. In Warsaw the Presidential Palace quickly became the focal point of a nation in mourning. Flags across the country will lowered to half staff. Brisket. The best president we ever had has died said one mourner it's true. The leaders were on their way here a memorial mass in Russia's cut teen forest we're seventy years ago to the day. Thousands of polish officers were killed by the Soviet army. The empty chairs today a reminder of the newest tragedy proponent passionate she seventy years ago the Soviets murdered our best people there she said. Today the flower of the nation is killed again history is repeating itself. Many polls are already asking hard questions about safety. The president's plane filmed here by an amateur on take off this morning. With Soviet made to pull off 154 which has a notorious safety record ruling today the government announced it will move up October presidential elections. Despite the fact that two of the leading candidates president Kaczynski and an opposition leader. Went down with the playing. Along with the spirits of the nation. The president's Jetta has had a series of recent mishaps including an. Unscheduled landing on a state visit the governor has long had plans to replace it with a new or. More modern plane David but it is repeatedly delayed those plans to so much coverage of it that aging plane but is anyone asking why the flu. So many leaders on one plane risking so much loss. Well incredibly party leaders are saying the reason they packed so many officials on the this plane as they didn't want to. Wastes taxpayers' money on multiple planes multiple flights the David tonight they're saying they're going to take a hard look at those rules going forward. State money Jim thanks very much in just a short time ago here we made contact. We BBC reporter Rupert Winfield Hays he is at the crash site tonight. The wreckage of president kaczynski's plane is strewn across hundreds of yards in the woods behind me here in fact you can see just in the background there is a big chunk of the plane's wing now we understand that the plane came down very low here. Clipped the trees just in front of me here and and plunged into the forest. And burst into flames locals here have told me that this area was blanketed in a very think glare of fold this morning. We understand this evening that's black box flight recorders have been recovered as had most of the bodies so they are now being moved to Moscow. Where the investigation will continue.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.