What happened
On September 11, 2022, three aircraft were performing left-hand traffic pattern maneuvers at Pobiednik Airport (EPKP) with landings on runway 27. The aircraft involved included a Tecnam P2008-JC (SP-EGR) and a Cessna 152 (SP-CFC) carrying instructors and students, as well as a Cessna 152 (SP-REL) operated by a PPL(A) holder.
While the pilot of SP-REL was reporting positions, they unintentionally muted the aircraft's radio receiver. Consequently, the pilot could not hear radio transmissions from other aircraft and was unable to respond to attempts at communication. Due to this lack of radio monitoring, the pilot of SP-REL maintained a very close distance behind SP-EGR.
Both SP-EGR and SP-REL proceeded to land almost simultaneously, with SP-REL touching down approximately 200 meters behind SP-EGR. Upon noticing the danger, the instructor in SP-CFC alerted the crew of SP-EGR. The crews then coordinated a convoy maneuver, during which the instructor of SP-EGR executed a left turn toward the inside of the pattern to separate from SP-REL, which subsequently departed for a second circuit.
The investigation
The PKBWL examined the sequence of events and the pilot's statements regarding the radio malfunction. The investigation focused on the loss of communication and the subsequent lack of separation between the aircraft during the landing phase.
Findings
- The primary cause of the incident was inadequate visual scanning of the airspace by the pilot of SP-REL.
- A contributing factor was the accidental muting of the onboard radio receiver by the pilot of SP-REL, which prevented the monitoring of relevant air traffic communications.