History of Flight
On 8 October 2025, a pilot holding a PPL(A) license planned a flight along the route Kaniów (EPKW) – Żar (EPZR) – Zator (EPZT) – Kaniów (EPKW), with an intermediate landing at EPZR. The pilot arrived at the departure airport around 16:00 LT, removed the aircraft from the hangar, and conducted a preflight inspection. The aircraft had been previously refueled with 120 liters of fuel supplied by Bielski Park Technologiczny. The pilot started the engine and performed a run-up, which according to his statement was normal and showed no deviations from the flight manual.
Takeoff, climb, en route flight, and landing at EPZR were uneventful. After a 20-minute flight, the pilot landed on the grass runway at EPZR at 16:50. He taxied to the end of the runway and parked. After approximately 20 minutes, he re-entered the aircraft, started the engine, and performed another run-up, which was normal.
Takeoff began at 17:24, and the initial climb was normal. At about 550 ft AGL, near the road bridge over the Soła River, the engine suddenly stopped. The pilot immediately established best glide speed and initiated a right turn toward Międzybrodzie Bialskie. He determined that returning to the airport was unsafe and considered an emergency landing on a road running along the lake. However, recognizing that the road did not provide safe landing conditions and that a collision with obstacles could lead to a fire, he aligned the aircraft with the axis of Lake Międzybrodzkie. He attempted unsuccessfully to restart the engine. He deployed flaps to 20 degrees and ditched straight ahead in the middle of the lake.
The ditching was successful; the aircraft did not nose over. A witness on the shore near Międzybrodzie Bialskie recorded the aircraft floating on the lake and its subsequent sinking. Other witnesses, including the manager of the GSS "Żar" gliding school at EPZR, notified emergency services.
Injuries
No injuries were sustained by the pilot.
Aircraft Damage
The aircraft sank approximately 4 minutes after ditching, coming to rest in mud in the former riverbed of the Soła River at a depth of about 8.5 m. On 9 October, the aircraft was located using sonar and recovered with the aid of lift bags and a winch. During recovery, the cowling, horizontal stabilizer end ribs, dorsal fin, and landing gear fairings were damaged.
The cockpit was completely flooded and destroyed. Water and mud entered the engine. Fuel tanks in the wings did not rupture; no fuel or engine fluids leaked into the lake. All aircraft systems (electrical, pneumatic, fuel) were waterlogged.
Preliminary inspections of the airframe and powerplant conducted after recovery (October 9) and a detailed inspection on October 20-21 found no mechanical damage other than that caused during recovery. About 125 liters of fuel, partially mixed with 22 liters of water, were drained from the tanks.
Other Information
The pilot was a 41-year-old male holding a valid PPL(A) license with SEP(L) rating. His total flight time was about 335 hours, with approximately 270 hours as pilot-in-command, all on the Cessna 172N (primarily SP-KEA). He had flown 1 flight of 20 minutes in the previous 24 hours, 1 flight of 20 minutes in the previous 7 days, and 15 flights totaling 11 hours 44 minutes in the previous 90 days. His medical certificate (Class II, LAPL) was valid without restrictions. He had adequate rest in the previous 48 hours and was familiar with EPZR.
The aircraft was a Cessna 172N Skyhawk II (serial 17273151, built 1979) powered by a Lycoming O-320-H2AD engine with a fixed-pitch McCauley propeller. Maximum takeoff mass 1040 kg. Registration SP-KEA, certificate of registration issued 18 Feb 2025, certificate of airworthiness issued 23 Jul 2020 with ARC issued 15 Jan 2025, all valid at the time of the accident. The last 50/100-hour inspection was on 19 Jul 2025. The aircraft was insured.
The accident site was Lake Międzybrodzkie on the Soła River, at the foot of Mount Żar, northwest of EPZR. The lake is about 5 km long (N-S) and about 700 m wide at the ditching location. Coordinates: 49°46'34.057" N; 19°02'27.29" E.
Meteorological conditions at the time were VMC: warm, sunny, high humidity due to the lake, light southerly wind, and weak thermal activity diminishing in the afternoon.
The aircraft was not equipped with a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder, nor was it required to be.
Ditching and Survival Factors
The pilot had his seatbelt fastened and was uninjured during the ditching. The aircraft was flown at low speed into the water with a slight tailwind. Flaps at 20 degrees reduced touchdown speed. Unable to open the cockpit door due to water pressure, the pilot kicked out the windshield and exited onto the wing. He remained in the water until a witness in a kayak reached him, followed by WOPR rescuers who transported him to shore and handed him to an ambulance. The water temperature was below 10°C.