What happened
On May 23, 2013, a Piper PA-3 and 220T Seneca V, registration SP-HIN, departed Poznań/Ławica (EPPO) for a flight to Bratislava-Ivanka (LZIB) under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). The flight crew included the pilot and two passengers. While the initial stages of the flight proceeded under good weather conditions, the aircraft encountered significantly deteriorating weather south of the Żywiec Basin.
As the aircraft approached the Carpathian mountain range, specifically the area near Babia Góra, the pilot encountered clouds that obscured much of the terrain, with visibility reduced to only a few dozen meters. Despite the worsening conditions, the pilot did not divert to the planned alternate airport in Kraków (EPKK) or return to an area of better weather. The aircraft entered a zone of critically unfavorable weather, well below VMC requirements.
Flight data and radar tracking indicate that the pilot attempted a climb to clear the terrain; however, the rate of climb was insufficient. At approximately 06:12 UTC, the pilot likely spotted the steep mountain slope ahead. Although a maximum power application was noted in the final seconds, the aircraft was unable to clear the obstacle and struck the northern slope of Babia Góra. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft and three fatalities.