Incident Overview
On 28 September 2020, at 12:01 UTC, the crew of a PZL-KOLIBER 150, registration SP-KYS, departed from Michałków (EPOM) on a training flight bound for Włocławek (EPWK). Approximately 20 minutes into the flight, the crew detected an unusual engine noise and observed smoke entering the cockpit. Assessing that diverting to an alternate airport or returning to the departure airfield would not guarantee a safe flight, the crew decided to perform a precautionary landing in unprepared terrain. The landing was completed without further incident.
Post-Flight Inspection
During a subsequent inspection of the aircraft, maintenance personnel discovered that the exhaust collector pipe had separated at the junction where it connects to the muffler. The separation of the pipe was identified as the source of the smoke and abnormal noise experienced in flight.
Cause
The Polish State Commission for Aircraft Accident Investigation determined that the cause of the incident was a technical malfunction involving the detachment of the exhaust collector pipe from the muffler.
Contributing Factors
No contributing factors were identified by the investigating body.
Preventive Actions
No preventive actions were formulated or recommended.