Incident Overview
On 19 April 2020, a pilot operating a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, registration SP-MMI, was conducting training flights. The flight plan included a transit to Łódź Airport (EPLL). According to NOTAM, the controlled airspace (CTR) of Łódź was inactive. The crew maintained radio communication with FIS Warsaw. Before entering the Łódź CTR, the pilot was instructed to remain on FIS Warsaw frequency and continue the planned task.
Flight Sequence
The aircraft entered the Łódź CTR via navigation points X, L, and Y. Subsequently, the crew performed two low passes over runway 28 while remaining on FIS Warsaw frequency. After the low passes, the flight continued as planned via points S and R toward Warsaw. Upon leaving the Łódź area, FIS Warsaw informed the pilot that the Łódź airport duty officer requested no touch-and-go landings. The pilot acknowledged and confirmed, stating that he was already en route to Warsaw and had only conducted two low passes over runway 28.
Cause
The incident was caused by pilot error during flight preparation, specifically disregarding the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency (PAŻP) Airspace Use Plan (AUP) publication. This led to a violation of the Łódź controlled airspace (CTR).