Overview
On April 6, 2014, an incident occurred at airport EPLB involving two aircraft: a Cessna 152 and a Cessna 172. The Cessna 152 was being flown by a student pilot under the supervision of an instructor on the ground. The Cessna 172 was piloted by another pilot.
Sequence of Events
The student pilot was conducting solo training flights in the traffic pattern at the Świdnik landing site, maintaining radio communication with "Świdnik Information" on frequency 118.500 MHz. During the training, the supervising instructor heard an approaching aircraft and spotted a Cessna 172 near the VOR SWI at approximately 2500-3000 ft. Later, while the student pilot was overflying the runway of EPLB, the Cessna 172 was observed in close proximity performing a low pass over the same runway.
Investigation
The investigation was conducted by the Polish State Commission for Aircraft Accident Investigation (PKBWL). Since the initial report did not include the registration marks of the second aircraft, the commission analyzed available data and identified a likely operator of the Cessna 172. According to information received, the pilot of the Cessna 172 had been communicating on FIS Warsaw frequency 119.450 MHz and later on TWR EPLB frequency 136.420 MHz.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of the incident was determined to be the different radio frequencies used by the pilots for communication and monitoring. During the initial phase, flights were conducted in uncontrolled airspace before the activation of air traffic control services at EPLB. The appropriate frequency for the Cessna 172 pilot to monitor was 118.500 MHz.
Safety Recommendations
No safety recommendations were issued by the PKBWL following the investigation.