What happened
On May 15, 2015, a Socata TB-9 operated by the Ośrodek Kształcenia Lotniczego was conducting a cross-country training flight between EPKZM and EPRZD. At approximately 15:40 UTC, while operating within the Rzeszów-Jasion and Jasionka (CTR EPRZ) airspace, the crew reported a loss of radio communication.
Following the loss of contact, the crew elected to terminate the planned flight and initiate a return to the departure airfield. To alert air traffic services of the situation, the crew set their transponder to code 7600, indicating radio failure, and proceeded with the flight without the ability to receive instructions. Despite the crew's inability to communicate, the Rzeszów-Jasionka tower controller was able to receive transmissions from the aircraft normally. During the approach to the airport, the crew successfully re-established two-way communication and landed safely at 15:55 UTC.
The investigation
The investigation focused on determining the source of the communication failure. Investigators examined the aircraft's antenna installation and power supply connections to identify any electrical or mechanical faults. During ground-based testing, including both transmission and reception checks, no malfunctions were detected in the radio equipment. The findings were subsequently reviewed with pilots operating within the flight school to discuss the incident.