Overview
On 14 February 2021, an incident occurred in the Warsaw Terminal Maneuvering Area (TMA) involving a Tecnam P2008-JC airplane, registration SP-LFD, operated by LOT Flight Academy, and a Boeing 737-800 airplane, registration SP-RKG, operated by Ryanair Sun. The Tecnam was flown by a student pilot without a license on a solo visual flight rules (VFR) training flight from EPPT aerodrome. The Boeing was operated by an airline pilot holding an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL(A)). The incident resulted in no injuries among the 153 occupants of the Boeing and no reported damage to either aircraft.
Details of the Flight
The student pilot was tasked with performing two instrument approaches to EPMO aerodrome under visual meteorological conditions (VMC). After entering the Warsaw TMA, the student executed two non-precision approaches under radar vectoring from EPWA Approach (APP) air traffic control. Following the second approach, the student performed a touch-and-go maneuver and departed toward EPPT aerodrome.
Air Traffic Control Actions
When issuing departure instructions, the EPMO Tower (TWR) trainee, who held a Student Air Traffic Controller License (SATCL), did not provide the student with a maximum permissible altitude. Subsequently, the Boeing 737-800 departed according to the standard instrument departure (SID) LOLSI-2J. Due to the higher speed of the Boeing, the distance between the two aircraft decreased.
Loss of Separation
During the climb, the Tecnam exceeded an altitude of 2,000 ft AMSL and entered the Warsaw TMA without clearance. At that time, EPWA APP ATC cleared the Boeing to proceed directly to the SUBIX waypoint. Prior to a right turn by the Boeing, the PEGASUS_21 air traffic management system generated a warning about dangerous aircraft proximity. The trainee then instructed the student to maintain an altitude of 1,500 ft AMSL or below. After both crews performed the ordered maneuvers, the aircraft began to move away from each other.
The smallest horizontal separation between the two aircraft was 1.29 nautical miles (NM) when they were in the Warsaw TMA at an altitude of approximately 2,300 ft AMSL. The required separation minima in Class C airspace are at least 5 NM horizontally and 1,000 ft vertically. The Boeing crew reported observing the Tecnam on their Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) indicator, which disappeared during the climb. The TCAS did not generate any Traffic Advisory (TA) or Resolution Advisory (RA) messages.
Investigation
The incident was investigated by the State Commission on Aircraft Accidents Investigation (PKBWL). The Commission determined that the occurrence was an incident. No safety recommendations were issued.