Incident Description
On 11 September 2022, at Pobiednik Airport near Krakow (EPKP), three aircraft were operating in the left-hand traffic pattern for runway 27. Two aircraft, SP-EGR (a Tecnam P2008-JC) and SP-CFC (type not specified), each carried an instructor and a student pilot. The third aircraft, SP-REL (a Cessna 152), was flown by a pilot holding a PPL(A) licence.
The pilot of SP-REL reported his positions, but inadvertently muted the aircraft's radio, as he later stated. Consequently, he could not hear transmissions and did not respond to attempts by the other crews to establish communication.
After noticing the lack of communication from SP-REL, the instructors in SP-EGR and SP-CFC began cooperating, tracking and sharing information on SP-REL's position.
The pilot of SP-REL, unaware of the radio silence, maintained a minimal distance behind SP-EGR. Both SP-EGR and SP-REL executed approaches and landed almost simultaneously, with SP-REL touching down approximately 200 meters behind SP-EGR. The instructor in SP-CFC alerted the crew of SP-EGR about the dangerous situation. Both aircraft performed a go-around; the instructor of SP-EGR, following the warning, turned left (into the circuit) to separate from SP-REL, which then initiated a go-around.
Cause
The cause of the incident was improper airspace observation by the pilot of aircraft SP-REL.
Contributing Factors
The contributing factor was the inadvertent muting of the onboard radio receiver by the pilot of SP-REL.
Preventive Actions
The incident was scheduled for discussion with the aviation personnel of the Krakow Aeroclub during the annual Safety Conference. The pilot of SP-REL was suspended from flying aircraft of the Krakow Aeroclub until completion of a re-examination with special emphasis on the operation of onboard equipment.
No additional safety recommendations were formulated.