Investigation Summary
The flight was operated by the 36th Special Aviation Regiment, the unit responsible for transporting high-ranking Polish government officials. During the evening flight from southern Poland to Warsaw, the helicopter encountered icing conditions that led to the flameout of both engines. The pilot was forced to execute a difficult autorotation into a forest approximately 25 kilometers south of Warsaw. The subsequent investigation and trial focused on why the deicing equipment was not engaged. The pilot testified that the meteorological data provided before the flight did not suggest icing risks and that his onboard thermometer, which later proved to be inaccurate due to a systematic measurement error, did not indicate freezing temperatures. Furthermore, an unpredicted thermal inversion meant that temperatures actually rose with altitude, complicating the crew's assessment of the atmospheric conditions.
Final Conclusions
The cause of the dual engine failure was engine icing. The pilot, Major Marek Miłosz, was initially charged with violating flight safety rules for failing to manually activate the deicing system. However, in March 2010, he was found not guilty. The court recognized that the pilot was misled by faulty instrumentation and unpredictable weather patterns, and specifically praised his 'superb piloting skills' in executing the autorotation that saved the lives of all on board.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Systems & Failure Modes
Deicing System
The system designed to prevent ice buildup on the engines and rotors; it was not activated during the flight, leading to engine flameout.
Autorotation
A flight state where the main rotor system of a helicopter turns by the action of air moving up through the rotor rather than engine power, used here to perform a controlled emergency landing.
Onboard Thermometer
A cockpit instrument used to monitor outside air temperature, which failed to provide accurate readings due to a systematic error.
Interesting Facts
- 01The helicopter was 26 years old at the time of the accident.
- 02The deicing system on the Mi-8P required manual activation by the crew.
- 03A thermal inversion occurred during the flight, causing temperatures to rise with altitude.
- 04The onboard thermometer used by the pilot suffered from a systematic measurement error.
- 05Prime Minister Leszek Miller suffered injuries but survived the crash.
Safety Actions & Advisories
VIP Fleet Modernization
Source ↗The accident accelerated discussions regarding the aging state of the 36th Special Aviation Regiment's fleet, leading to increased scrutiny of maintenance and equipment standards for government transport.