What happened
On April 18, 2016, at 07:58 UTC, a C208 aircraft was conducting VFR operations originating from the Chrcynno landing field. While climbing, the pilot initiated a request to Warsaw Approach (APP EPWA) to climb to flight level FL 140. At the time this request was made, the aircraft had already reached an altitude of 3,300 feet AMSL, placing it within the Warsaw TMA (EPWA) airspace without prior clearance.
Air traffic controllers notified the crew of the lower boundary of the TMA and emphasized the requirement to obtain explicit permission before entering controlled airspace. Following this interaction, the flight continued without further incident.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the airspace infringement. The inquiry established that the pilot entered the controlled zone before receiving the necessary clearance from the approach controller. The investigation also reviewed the pilot's radio communications and the operational environment at the time of the occurrence.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was a pilot error involving entry into controlled airspace without obtaining authorization from air traffic control.
- Contributing factors included the pilot's inattention and the fact that radio communications were being conducted on the flight manager's frequency.
Safety action
Following the incident, the aircraft operator implemented training for all C208 pilots. This training, conducted on June 30, 2016, involved participation from Warsaw Okęcie approach controllers and focused on safety procedures for operating within the TMA EPWA and proper radio communication protocols.