What happened
On the morning of July 21, 2024, an amateur-built J-1 "Prząśniczka" ultralight aircraft took off from an unregistered airfield in Lipowa, Poland. The pilot, a 75-year-old man, had moved the aircraft from a hangar and performed a 180-degree turn before commencing a takeoff roll. Witnesses and video footage confirmed that the takeoff and initial climb appeared normal, with the aircraft lifting off after approximately 270 meters.
At an altitude of roughly 30 to 40 meters AGL, the pilot initiated a left turn toward a valley where the terrain descended. Immediately upon entering the turn, the aircraft entered a left spin and impacted a rapeseed field vertically. The impact caused an immediate fire that destroyed the aircraft and resulted in the one fatality of the pilot. The aircraft's wooden structure was crushed by the heavy engine, and the fuel tank ruptured upon impact.
The investigation
The PKBWL investigation focused on the aircraft's configuration and the legality of the flight. The investigation established that the aircraft was an amateur-built construction that had undergone significant modifications by the deceased. Notably, the original 24 HP engine had been replaced with a much more powerful 50 HP Rotax 503 engine. This modification required new engine mounts and significantly increased the load on the airframe.
Furthermore, the investigation found that the pilot did not hold any formal flight licenses or qualifications, although he was a highly experienced aviation technician and mechanic. The aircraft itself lacked registration marks and was not entered in the Civil Aircraft Register. The airfield used for the takeoff was also not officially registered in the Civil Aviation Authority (ULC) database.
Findings
- The aircraft's center of gravity may have been shifted rearward due to the installation of a heavier engine and modified landing gear, which likely degraded the aircraft's stall and spin characteristics.
- The pilot was operating the aircraft without any formal flight crew licenses or certificates.
- The unregistered aircraft lacked airworthiness documentation, operational manuals, and required insurance.
- The takeoff occurred from an airfield that had been removed from the official ULC registry.
- There was no evidence of mechanical failure during the flight; the accident occurred during a maneuver.