Accident Overview
On December 12, 2021, at approximately 14:30 LMT, an ultralight aircraft, a Rans S-12XL "Airaile", collided with terrain near Szadek, close to Zduńska Wola, Poland. The accident resulted in one fatality and one serious injury. The aircraft sustained substantial damage. Emergency services were alerted by a passerby.
Flight and Weather Conditions
The aircraft had departed from a private airstrip with a geographical heading of about 24°. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot likely initiated a right turn at low altitude, apparently intending to return to the airstrip. During the final phase of the turn, approximately 600 m from the airstrip, the aircraft struck the ground in a flat attitude. Weather conditions at the time were severe: total overcast with a cloud base of 50–100 m, visibility reduced to as low as 100 m due to dense fog. The meteorological conditions were conducive to carburetor icing at all engine power settings; the engine was not equipped with a carburetor heating system.
Aircraft and Pilot Information
The aircraft, an Rans S-12XL, was purchased in Poland on March 17, 2021, without registration marks. It was not entered in the Polish Civil Aircraft Register or the Register of Aircraft Devices, nor was it declared as a foreign-registered aircraft temporarily in Poland. According to the owner, the main technical issue during engine tests was finding the optimal propeller blade angle; over 100 test runs were performed without the aircraft achieving lift. These adjustments were mostly conducted by the two occupants, including work on the day of the accident, without the owner's knowledge. The deceased occupant held no pilot license for airplanes or ultralights, only a valid paraglider pilot qualification. The other occupant held a US-issued PPL(A) license but had not applied for conversion to a Polish license.
Commission Findings
The Polish State Commission on Aircraft Accident Investigation (PKBWL) decided to discontinue its investigation into the accident. The reasons given were that the aircraft was used by persons not qualified to pilot that type of aircraft, and that the aircraft was operated in violation of regulations (it was not registered). The commission notified the President of the Civil Aviation Authority and the District Prosecutor's Office in Zduńska Wola of suspected criminal violations.