Cessna 208 Incident at EPWA TMA on 17 April 2016

Incident Overview and Context On 17 April 2016, a Cessna 208 aircraft was conducting parachute drop operations from a landing site within the EPWA terminal maneuvering area (TMA). The incident was classified as an aviation incident by the Polish State Commission for Investigation of Aviation Accidents (PAŃSTWOWA KOMISJA BADANIA WYPADKÓW LOTNICZYCH), with the investigation concluded on 8 March 2017. ## Sequence of Events At approximately 12:30 UTC, the pilot received clearance to occupy flight level 150 (FL 150). During the climb, the aircraft exceeded the assigned level, with the transponder indicating FL 156. The pilot failed to respond to multiple calls from the EPWA approach controller. It was later determined that the pilot was engaged in a conversation with an instructor pilot regarding drop procedures and had muted the radio due to heavy traffic on frequencies 128.8 MHz and 122.2 MHz. The pilot only responded when the aircraft crossed FL 150 during descent. ## Pilot Qualifications The pilot held a Commercial Pilot License (CPL(A)) with a total of 810 hours of flight experience, 634 hours as pilot-in-command, and 8 hours 31 minutes on the Cessna 208 type. ## Findings and Preventive Actions The investigation identified two primary causes for the incident: the muting of the radio and the conduct of conversations with the instructor pilot. As a preventive measure, the investigating body recommended training for Cessna 208 pilots involving EPWA approach controllers, which was conducted on 30 June 2016. The Commission did not issue any safety recommendations or additional comments.