What happened
On the evening of the accident, an aircraft departed Warsaw at 16:51 local time, beginning a multi-leg journey toward Krakow. The flight plan included several intermediate stops at Powidz, Poznań-Krzesiny, Mirosławiec, and Świdwin. The aircraft was operating as part of a return trip following the 50th Annual Aviation Safety Conference in Warsaw, carrying a total of 36 passengers and four crew members.
During the flight, the passenger count decreased as nine individuals disembarked at Powidz and an additional 11 people deplaned at the Poznań-Krzesiny airbase. As the aircraft approached Mirosławiec under night conditions, the crew encountered challenging meteorological circumstances, including mist, a visibility of only 2 kilometers, and a low cloud ceiling of 300 feet.
During the short final phase of the approach, the aircraft became unstable. The plane descended at a rate of 6,000 feet per minute while maintaining a speed of 148 knots. The aircraft struck trees and crashed in a wooded area approximately 1,300 meters before reaching the runway threshold. The impact caused the aircraft to burst into flames, resulting in the total destruction of the airframe. There were 20 fatalities among the occupants.
Findings
- The flight encountered poor weather conditions consisting of low visibility and a low ceiling.
- The aircraft was in an unstable state during the final approach.
- The high rate of descent and airspeed contributed to the impact with trees short of the runway.