What happened
In September 2014, an aerial operation was organized to disperse rabies vaccines to foxes across south-eastern Poland. The mission involved several aircraft departing from Depułtycze Królewskie (EPCD) to fly pre-planned routes. To accommodate military activity, specific flight conditions had been coordinated with the airspace users, restricting flight altitudes to between ground level and 1,500 feet and limiting the mission duration to between 06:00 and 10:30.
During the operation, the mission exceeded its allotted timeframe. FIS Warszawa personnel attempted to urge the crews to vacate the TSA 4 A, B, and G zones via radio and telephone contact with the flight organizer. However, because the aircraft were operating at low altitudes, radio communication between the crews and FIS Warszawa was intermittent and difficult to maintain. This low-altitude flight also made continuous radar surveillance by air traffic services difficult or impossible. Consequently, at least two Cessna 172 aircraft entered the active military zones and also performed an unauthorized entry into the controlled TMA airspace for the Dęblin airport (EPLB).
The investigation
The investigation examined the coordination between the flight organizer, the air traffic services (FIS Warszawa and APP Dęblin), and the operational constraints of the mission. The investigation focused on the breakdown in communication and the failure to adhere to the established time limits for the mission within the restricted zones.