What happened
During an ascent from Łódź-Lublinek Airport, an aircraft lost control and impacted a field in the vicinity of Tuszyn, situated approximately 16 km southeast of the departure airfield. The accident occurred amidst heavy fog conditions shortly after the plane departed. The crash resulted in 18 fatalities, with no survivors among the occupants.
Prior to this flight, the crew had arrived at Łódź from Szczecin. During that previous arrival, the flight crew had notified authorities of mechanical issues involving the engines and expressed a desire to cancel the subsequent leg to Kraków. However, it is reported that personnel from the Polish Department of Security pressured the crew to proceed with the scheduled flight despite these technical concerns.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating in low-visibility conditions characterized by dense fog.
- Pressure from security officials to continue the flight despite reported engine malfunctions was a critical factor in the sequence of events.