History of the Flight
On 29 February 2024, a pilot holding a PPL(A) booked a Cessna F150F (registration D-EKIQ) at the Evair Aviation Training Centre at Warsaw Babice for a sightseeing flight with a female passenger. The flight was scheduled for 16:00 LMT on 1 March 2024 on the EPBC – Góra Kalwaria – EPBC route.
On the day of the flight, the pilot received route and technical information from an employee, performed a pre-flight inspection, and topped up with 40 liters of unleaded 98 fuel. At approximately 16:16 LMT, the pilot made three unsuccessful engine start attempts; an instructor started the engine on the fourth attempt. After taxiing to Runway 10 and performing an engine runup, the pilot took off. No irregularities were noted during takeoff, and the aircraft climbed to 1,800 ft at 80 kt.
During the flight, the pilot reported turning on carburettor heating four times for 1-2 minutes each. Each activation caused a drop in engine speed, which remained within acceptable limits until the fourth time, when rpm dropped to 2,200-2,300. The pilot increased throttle to 2,500 rpm, but the speed continued to drop. Believing the issue was not carburettor icing, the pilot did not use carb heat again. He turned back toward Babice but the engine speed continued decreasing, prompting an emergency landing. He notified FIS Warsaw and selected an undeveloped area in the Wawer district. During descent, engine speed was 1,200-1,300 rpm. The pilot positioned the aircraft upwind, deployed flaps, closed the fuel valve, and switched off electrical power before touchdown. After landing, the aircraft traveled about 15 m and overturned. The pilot and passenger exited unaided and were transported to hospital; the passenger sustained minor injuries that did not require hospitalization. Both were breathalyzed with negative results.
Pilot Information
The pilot, an Italian citizen, held a PPL(A) with a valid SEP(L) rating and a current aero-medical certificate. Total flight time was 254 hours, including 21 hours on the Cessna 150/152 type. The pilot had flown 1 hour 2 minutes in the last 7 days and 7 hours in the last 90 days on the Cessna 150. Rest conditions were adequate, and the pilot had performed six departures from EPBC on the Cessna 150 since October 2023.
Meteorological Conditions
METAR from EPWA at 15:30 UTC (16:30 LMT) on 1 March 2024 reported: wind 120° at 15 kt, visibility 10 km or more, cloud BKN016 (5-7/8 coverage) at 1,600 ft, temperature 9°C, dew point 5°C, QNH 1013 hPa. The cloud cover was increasing from the south during the flight, with a tendency for the ceiling to lower.
Accident Site and Aftermath
The aircraft came to rest overturned in a waterlogged area overgrown with reeds. Inspection of the cabin showed the carburettor heating lever in the closed position and the throttle lever fully open. The pilot later stated to flying personnel that he had turned on carburettor heating only once or twice, pulling the lever only halfway due to concern over engine speed drop. Analysis of flight data indicated that the duration from reaching 1,800 ft to the decision to return was about 10 minutes, contradicting the pilot’s initial report of four heating cycles. The similar landing approach profiles of this flight and a previous one on 27 February 2024 suggested that a safe return to the aerodrome was possible. The engine speed drop was characteristic of carburettor icing, but the pilot misinterpreted it as a throttle malfunction and did not follow the flight manual procedure of applying full carburettor heat until the ice was removed.