Flight History
On the morning of 9 September 2025, a pilot and a pilot-passenger arrived at the airfield in Lipowa with the intention of flying to an airport in the Czech Republic, located a few dozen kilometres west of Bielsko-Biała. The aircraft, a CH-601 Zodiak registered as OK-LUA60, was owned by one of the two men and was stored in a hangar on the airfield. Dense fog affected the entire Żywiec Basin, including the Lipowa airfield, until late morning.
CCTV footage from two cameras on the airfield documented the aircraft's preparation and takeoff. At 9:08 AM, the hangar doors were opened and the aircraft was pulled out. At 9:15 AM, the owner (who later occupied the left seat) walked around the aircraft. Both men took their seats at 9:17 AM, and engine start and testing began at 9:18:40–50 AM. The aircraft taxied to the starting point at 9:27 AM, and takeoff occurred at 9:32 AM towards Żywiec Lake. The aircraft flew close to two witnesses before disappearing into the fog, then turned back over the airfield in an attempt to go around. Approximately three minutes after takeoff, it crashed into a neighbouring field and caught fire. Witnesses were unable to extinguish the fire and called emergency services. Seven fire brigades and ambulances were dispatched. After extinguishing the fire, firefighters found the bodies of the two victims in the burnt-out cockpit.
Injuries to Persons
The accident resulted in two fatal injuries to the occupants. No other persons were injured.
Damage to the Aircraft
The aircraft was destroyed by impact and subsequent fire. Ground marks included disturbed humus and a strip of burnt grass. Both wings separated from the fuselage, with their internal structures destroyed. The fuel tanks tore through the caissons and ruptured, spilling fuel that intensified the fire. The power unit, including the mount and firewall, separated from the fuselage. One composite propeller blade broke off and was found several meters away; the other two remained on the hub. The crew cabin was completely destroyed and burnt out. Carburettors were detached and partially melted.
Crew Information
The crew consisted of two men aged 70 and 50. According to information obtained, they did not hold Polish Ultralight Aircraft Pilot qualification certificates. The Commission requested information from the Czech Air Accident Investigation Institute regarding their flight qualifications and the airworthiness of OK-LUA60, but no response had been received at the time of report publication.
Aircraft Information
The CH-601 Zodiak OK-LUA60 was a kit plane built in Poland in 2005 by ZUT Wrocław. It was a cantilever metal low-wing aircraft with an empty weight of about 285 kg and a maximum take-off weight of 450 kg. It had no flaps. The fuselage had dual controls with a single cyclic stick between the two side-by-side seats. The engine was a Rotax 912 ULS with dual carburettors and a three-blade constant pitch propeller. Two fuel tanks of approximately 30 litres each were located in the wing caissons. The aircraft had two previous accidents in 2009 and 2011.
Meteorological Information
On the day of the accident, dense fog formed overnight and persisted into late morning, limiting horizontal and vertical visibility to as little as a few dozen meters. One witness reported horizontal visibility of about 200 m at the crash site. Fog is a frequent phenomenon in the region due to the presence of Żywiec Lake, and lack of airflow leads to stagnant, concentrated fog in depressions.
Navigation and Communication
It is likely that a navigation tablet and/or GPS were on board. The crew did not use radio communication with any ground station.
Site Information
The Lipowa airfield is located on a plateau above the village of Lipowa, with a runway oriented west-east (243°/63°) approximately 500 m long and 50 m wide. On the day of the accident, a strip of about 350 x 40 m was mowed; grass was wet due to high humidity from fog. The accident site was a grassy meadow 500 m southeast of the eastern edge of the airfield. Coordinates: 49°41'43.182" N, 19°6'25.553" E.
Wreckage and Fire
No evidence of any component separating in flight was found; structural integrity was intact until impact. The fire started immediately after collision, fueled by approximately 60 litres of automotive petrol from ruptured tanks, ignited by hot engine components.
Medical Information
Forensic autopsies determined the cause of death for both occupants as severe bodily injuries involving multiple organs from the ground collision. Toxicology tests were negative for alcohol, narcotics, psychotropic substances, or drugs.
Survival Factors
The cabin was above the wing root, with side-by-side seats equipped with abdominal and shoulder belts. The aircraft had no BRS/GRS-type recovery system.