What happened
On May 17, 2017, a pilot conducted a recreational flight in an AWAP II X Pe 1 engine-powered hang glider, registration AP-MSWK, departing from Turbia Airport [EPST]. After performing a post-winter inspection and refueling, the pilot began a local flight. During the landing phase, the aircraft approached a field near Kawę Lund, southeast of Kawęczyn, on a heading of approximately 320 degrees.
As the aircraft descended, the pilot experienced a sudden and severe medical emergency. The aircraft's engine was at low power, and the pilot attempted a precautionary landing in the terrain. During the touchdown, the front landing gear struck a high ridge (miedza) approximately 25–30 cm high. This impact caused the front gear to break away and the aircraft to capsize, resulting in significant damage to the propeller, wing structure, and carriage. The pilot, who was wearing safety belts, sustained fatal injuries due to circulatory failure.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation focused on the aircraft's mechanical state, the pilot's medical history, and the sequence of events leading to the impact. Investigators examined the engine, fuel system, and the physical evidence at the crash site, including the broken landing gear and the condition of the propeller.
Medical experts analyzed data from the pilot's implanted cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). The device's logs recorded multiple high-energy defibrillation interventions between 08:23 and 08:47 LMT, documenting a period of ventricular fibrillation, often referred to as an "electrical storm," which eventually led to cardiac arrest. The investigation also examined the structural integrity of the landing gear, finding that the welds at the break points had been significantly weakened by undetectable corrosion.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the sudden deterioration of the pilot's health due to acute circulatory failure.
- The pilot's ICD recorded a series of life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias that the device attempted to correct via multiple shocks.
- The aircraft was operating with the engine at minimum RPM during the landing approach.
- The impact with the high ridge caused the nose gear to fail and the aircraft to overturn.
- Significant corrosion was present in the welds of the front landing gear, which reduced its structural strength.
- The aircraft was in a functional mechanical state, and the weather conditions were favorable (VMC) and did not contribute to the accident.