Investigation Summary
The accident occurred during the final series of touch-and-go maneuvers of a training day. On board were an instructor pilot and two trainee pilots. During a go-around from runway 28, the aircraft was configured with 20 degrees of flaps. At approximately 10 meters above ground level, the instructor pilot took control from the trainee. The instructor increased engine power to maximum and initiated a left turn, increasing the bank angle to approximately 60 degrees. The aircraft suffered a loss of lift and began to slide onto its left wing. The bank angle increased to 70 degrees before the left wing struck the grass near the airfield tower. The aircraft then collided with an off-road vehicle and a metal building used as a club house and bar. At the time of the impact, several people were inside the building seeking shelter from a passing storm.
Final Conclusions
The investigation is being conducted by the Polish State Commission on Aircraft Accidents Investigation (SCAAI). According to the Preliminary Report (2023-0046) published in August 2023, the aircraft experienced a loss of lift during a high-banked turn at low altitude following a go-around. The instructor pilot was fatally injured, while both trainee pilots survived with minor injuries. Five additional fatalities occurred among people on the ground inside the building. The aircraft was not equipped with, nor required to have, a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Wing Flaps
The aircraft was configured with 20 degrees of flaps for the go-around maneuver, having retracted them from the 30-degree landing setting.
Fuel Condition Lever
Used by a surviving trainee pilot to shut down the engine and cut off fuel supply immediately following the collision.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft involved (MSN 208B0854) was manufactured in 2000.
- 02The crash was the deadliest aviation accident in Poland since 2014.
- 03Five of the six fatalities were people on the ground sheltering in a hangar/club house.
- 04The aircraft was not equipped with a CVR or FDR as they were not required by regulations.
- 05One trainee pilot successfully shut down the engine by moving the Fuel Condition Lever to CUT OFF after the impact.
- 06Weather reports from nearby Modlin Airport indicated storms and gusty winds in the area at the time of the crash.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Flight Recorder Recommendations
Source ↗Following the investigation's preliminary findings that the lack of data made reconstruction difficult, the SCAAI emphasized the value of voluntary installation of lightweight flight recording systems in aircraft not required by regulations to carry them, to aid in future safety analysis.