What happened
On October 6, 2018, at approximately 08:30 LMT, a private pilot and one passenger departed from Toruń Airport (EPTO) for a recreational VFR flight in an ultralight Super Petrel seaplamne, registration OM-M306. After completing a standard traffic pattern at 1,100 ft AGL, the aircraft proceeded south within the airfield's control zone, climbing to 2,200 ft AGL.
During a descent approximately 5 km south of the airport, the pilot noticed that the engine was no longer responding to throttle inputs. The pilot immediately turned the aircraft north toward the airport and activated the electric fuel pump. However, engine RPM continued to drop to near-minimum levels, and the engine began running unevenly. At an altitude of approximately 450 ft AGL, the pilot determined that returning to the airport was not possible and executed a 90-degree left turn toward the west to perform an emergency landing on the Vistula River.
While approaching the water, the engine remained unresponsive to throttle changes. The landing on the river proceeded without further interruption, but during the taxi phase on the water, the aircraft experienced a sudden deceleration. The nose of the aircraft pitched down, and the forward section of the hull began taking on water until the aircraft achieved buoyancy. The crew drifted toward the shore for approximately 15 minutes before the aircraft was secured by police.
There were no injuries to the pilot or passenger. The aircraft sustained damage to the propeller tips, the nose gear, the hull, and the cockpit glazing due to contact with the shallow water.
The investigation
The PKBWL examined meteorological data from the nearby station (EPBY) and analyzed the engine's performance during the descent. The investigation focused on the relationship between ambient temperatures, the dew point, and the engine's operational state during the power loss.