Incident Overview
On April 9, 2020, at the Pobiednik aerodrome near Kraków (EPKP), a Cessna 152, registration SP-KOK, was involved in an incident during ground operations. The aircraft was operated by the Kraków Aeroclub for training flights leading to a PPL(A) license.
Sequence of Events
That day, training flights were scheduled. Before the first series of flights, the instructor and student discussed the planned tasks and completed the necessary documentation. After a pre-flight inspection, the crew flew from 08:04 to 10:10 LMT. Following these flights, the student pilot taxied to the parking position in front of the hangar and shut down the engine.
The instructor planned subsequent flights with another student pilot. Because refueling was necessary, a tow bar was attached to the nose gear to facilitate maneuvering the aircraft to the fuel station. After refueling, the student pilot, under the instructor's supervision, performed a pre-flight inspection. The crew then boarded, started the engine, and taxied via taxiway Bravo to the holding point for Runway 27. After receiving clearance, the aircraft took off.
Shortly after takeoff, an aeroclub employee noticed a damaged tow bar lying on the taxiway. He informed the Head of Training, who radioed the crew to abort the flight. After landing, an inspection revealed damage to the propeller blade tips.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The investigation determined that the aircraft had begun taxiing with the tow bar still attached to the nose gear. During taxi, the propeller tips struck the tow bar, causing it to detach and fall onto the taxiway. The primary cause of the incident was an inadequate pre-flight inspection by the crew. A contributing factor was the gray color of the tow bar, which did not contrast with the ground surface.
Safety Recommendations
The operator implemented the following preventive measures:
- Brief all flying personnel in the ATO about the incident and its circumstances.
- Emphasize to instructors and flight crews the necessity of thorough pre-flight inspections in accordance with the Flight Manual.
- Paint the surface of all tow bars a bright yellow color to increase visibility against the aircraft surroundings.
The Polish State Commission on Aircraft Accident Investigation (PKBWL) did not issue additional safety recommendations.