What happened
On May 30, 2019, at approximately 12:30 LMT, a Piper PA 28 Cherokee, registration D-EKUC, departed from Warsaw-Babice (EPBC) for a flight control training mission. The crew, consisting of a flight instructor and a student pilot, intended to fly to Chrcynne, perform several circuits, and return to the airfield.
During the fifth circuit, the right landing gear strut separated from the aircraft. The crew was not immediately aware of the structural failure; they only learned of the missing gear during the landing flare when informed by the flight manager at EPBC. After performing a go-around and confirming the situation via communication with another aircraft crew, the pilots decided to fly to a designated area to burn off excess fuel. Once the fuel levels were sufficient for a safe return, the crew landed on runway 2/28 at EPBC at 15:45 LMT. The landing resulted in a left-hand turn of approximately 140 degrees relative to the runway axis. The aircraft sustained minor damage, but the crew sustained no injuries and exited the cabin independently.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation established that the aircraft was being operated in violation of Polish aviation regulations. Specifically, the aircraft was registered in another state and had not been reported to the Polish civil aviation authorities, as required by the Regulation of the Minister of Infrastructure and the Polish Aviation Law regarding the permanent stay of foreign aircraft in Poland.
Due to this regulatory non-compliance, the PKBWL decided to discontinue the investigation.