Incident Overview
On February 27, 2018, at 12:53 UTC, a Diamond DA20CI aircraft was on a flight from Modlin Airport (EPMO) to Olsztyn Dajtki Airport (EPOD), piloted by a private pilot with a PPL(A) license and a SEP(L) rating. The total flight time on the aircraft was 190 hours.
Sequence of Events
The flight proceeded without incident for about 40 minutes, after which the pilot observed the engine running intermittently. The pilot decided to monitor the engine while flying over a lake and subsequently made a decision to conduct a precautionary landing on the frozen surface of Lake Jaróz, located 15 nautical miles south of EPOD. The pilot believed the ice thickness would be sufficient, noting that a fisherman was present on the lake and temperatures had been around -15 to -20°C for the preceding week.
From an altitude of 1,400 feet and a heading of approximately 150°, the pilot began a descent with the intention of landing on the frozen lake. At that point, the engine stopped completely. The landing on the icy surface was completed without any consequences: the pilot was not injured, and the aircraft sustained no damage.
Investigation Findings
After the landing, a check of the fuel quantity revealed that the tank was empty. The Polish State Commission on Aircraft Accident Investigation (PKBWL) determined that the cause of the incident was fuel exhaustion, which led to the engine stopping in flight. This was attributed to the pilot's haste during refueling and an incorrect assessment of the fuel quantity available for the flight.
Atmospheric Conditions
The weather conditions were determined to have no influence on the occurrence.
Actions Taken
No preventive actions were taken by the operator, and the PKBWL did not issue any safety recommendations.