Incident Overview
On 16 April 2018 at 10:30 UTC, a Diamond DA 20 C1 aircraft operated by an instructor and a student pilot departed from Dęblin Airport (EPDE) for a cross-country flight at 1,500 feet. After passing point "G," the crew received clearance to climb to 3,000 feet. When the power lever was moved to maximum RPM, the engine began operating unevenly and RPM dropped to approximately 1,200.
Crew Actions
The crew stopped the climb, secured airspeed, and turned on the fuel pump. After activating the fuel pump and setting the throttle to about half travel, the engine restarted but continued to run unstably. The crew maintained altitude and decided to return to the airport, keeping RPM around 2,000. They landed safely and handed the aircraft over to technical services.
Cause and Preventive Actions
The investigation determined that the cause of the incident was a short circuit in the aircraft's ignition switch. The investigating entity held a briefing with instructors, student pilots, and technical personnel, emphasizing adherence to checklists before and during flight.