>> reporter: local officials in smolensk say they contacted the pilot and mentioned to either come to moscow and land here or fly to minsk, in belarus next door. but it is very close. smolensk is near the border. they say that the pilot decided to still try to land in smolensk which is why the visibility, even when he was just a little over half a mile out, still potentially wasn't able to see the trees, wasn't able to see the runway. that's the version they're working with now. >> okay, thank you so much. president obama's issued a statement in reaction to the polish president's plane crash. president obama says, in part, "our thoughts and prayers are with the kaczynski family, the loved ones of those killed in this tragic plane crash and the polish nation. president kaczynski was widely admired in the united states as