What happened
On May 8, 2015, a pilot was operating a Piper PA 28 Cherokee on a VFR flight from EPZP to EPPK. During the flight, the pilot noticed intermittent issues with the aircraft's onboard radio, noting that several transmissions were not being acknowledged by recipients. As the aircraft approached the southern boundary of the EPKS MATZ, the pilot received clearance to transit the EPKS control zone; however, shortly thereafter, all radio communication was lost.
In an attempt to restore radio functionality, the pilot performed troubleshooting procedures that resulted in the partial shutdown of several navigation aids, including the GPS. This loss of electronic navigation led to the pilot losing detailed geographical orientation, which subsequently caused the aircraft to infringe upon the EPPO controlled airspace.
Following the incident, the pilot landed safely at EPPK and contacted the EPPO tower personnel via telephone to report the circumstances of the airspace violation.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the airspace infringement, specifically examining the failure of the communication equipment and the subsequent impact of troubleshooting actions on the aircraft's navigation systems.