What happened
On March 18, 2020, at Warsaw-Babice Airport (EPBC), approximately eight aircraft were operating in the vicinity. The incident involved several aircraft, including an Aero AT-3, registration SP-TPD, a Cessna 172, registration SP-OTC, and two PS28 Cruiser aircraft.
Following takeoff from runway 28R, the crew of the SP-TPD requested a southern circuit at 1,200 ft AMSL. Shortly after, a Cessuna 172 reported on the straight-in approach to runway 28L. Simultaneously, the crew of another AT-3 (registration SP-RWF) reported a downwind leg for runway 28R.
During the sequence, the crew of a PS28 Cruiser (registration SP-GBR) noticed the Cessna 172 and inquired about its intentions, as the Cessna 172 had not yet reported its position or intentions to the AFISO. The Cessna 172 crew subsequently requested a southern circuit.
As the SP-TPD transitioned to the final approach for runway 28L, it intercepted the path of the SP-GBR, which was also on approach. Due to this change in the traffic sequence, the crew of the SP-GBR elected to execute a go-around to the second circuit. Additionally, the AFISO noted that the SP-TPD occupied runway 28L for an extended period during its landing roll, despite heavy traffic on the approach.
The investigation
The PKBWL examined radio transcripts and the sequence of aircraft movements. The investigation focused on the effectiveness of air traffic information services during periods of high traffic density and the impact of multilingual communications on situational awareness.
Findings
- Intense traffic density in the airport vicinity.
- The use of two different languages (Polish and English) for radio communications.
- The use of long, complex transmissions during radio exchanges, which hindered effective communication.