What happened
On December 11, 2014, two F16 military aircraft were performing a final approach to runway 2/8 at the EPLK aerodrome. During the approach, the air traffic controller at APP EPLK notified the pilots of another aircraft detected on radar, positioned approximately 13NM south of the runway centerline extension.
After assessing that the unidentified aircraft did not pose an immediate threat to their flight path, the pilots of the F16 aircraft continued their approach and landed on runway 2/8. Following the landing, the pilot of a Tecnam P2002JF established radio contact with TWR EPLK and confirmed that the aircraft had indeed infringed upon the MATZ airspace.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances leading to the unauthorized entry into the controlled airspace. The inquiry examined the flight paths of the involved aircraft and the communication between the pilots and air traffic control services at the aerodrome.