What happened
On September 29, 2018, at approximately 12:50 LMT, a Robinson R44 helicopter was conducting a flight from a landing site in Rybno toward Sochaczew. During the flight, the aircraft was operating at an altitude of 1,400 ft with an indicated airspeed of approximately 100 kt.
While positioned north of Sochaczew, the pilot received instructions from FIS Warszawa suggesting a course change to avoid the active EA 117 airspace zone. As the pilot attempted to execute this maneuver, they realized they had drifted east of the prescribed track, resulting in an unauthorized entry into the restricted area. Radar data confirmed that the aircraft penetrated the zone to a depth of approximately 0.5 NM.
The investigation
The investigation established that the pilot was aware that the EA 117 zone was active at the time of the incident. The analysis focused on the pilot's navigation and response to air traffic services instructions during the maneuver.