Incident Overview
On 18 August 2017, an Aviat Husky AI-B aircraft was involved in a ground incident at Warsaw. The pilot, holding a tourist pilot license, operated the aircraft under private ownership. The incident occurred while the aircraft was taxiing on the airfield.
Circumstances
The aircraft had been positioned for glider towing operations for the Aeroklub Warszawski. Due to a lack of glider pilots, the towing flights were cancelled. The pilot then planned a training flight in the EPBC ATZ but abandoned it due to unfavorable weather. Instead, he decided to taxi the aircraft to the Aeroklub Warszawski hangar. The taxi route ran parallel to the grass runway.
Upon reaching the hangar area, the pilot noticed that the entrance gate to the airfield was closed. He decided to taxi to a gate opposite the hangar. As he looked forward, he saw a protruding metal rod, part of a temporary fence marking an area undergoing grass renovation, at very close range.
Despite an immediate reaction, the pilot could not stop the aircraft in time, and the rotating propeller struck the metal rod. The pilot shut down the engine and exited the aircraft, finding both propeller blades damaged. He notified the aircraft owner and summoned a police patrol, which inspected the scene.
Cause
The cause of the incident was improper forward observation by the pilot during taxiing.
Contributing Factors
The following factors were identified as contributing to the incident:
- Difficulty observing the forward path during taxi due to the tailwheel landing gear configuration.
- Poor visibility of the metal rods in the temporary fence.
- The use of metal rods instead of wooden ones for the fence.
- Absence of a NOTAM warning of obstacles in the airfield's operational area.
Aftermath
A few days after the incident, the temporary fence was removed. No safety recommendations were issued by the investigating commission.