What happened
On May 11, 2006, a Beech 33 Bonanza, registration OY-GEV, was conducting a VFR flight from Gera – Leumnitz, Germany, to Bratislava, Slovakia. At approximately 14:47 UTC, the aircraft entered the Prague FIR at the Klingenthal waypoint. The pilot failed to establish contact with the appropriate Air Traffic Control (ATC) unit upon entering the new flight information region.
While flying at 5,500 ft, the aircraft proceeded toward the Prague TMA. The Prague Flight Information Service (FIC) identified an unidentified aircraft with SSR code 002 and attempted to establish two-way communication, but the pilot did not respond. At 14:55 UTC, the FIC notified Prague Approach (APP) that the aircraft was heading toward the TMA IV LKPR airspace.
At 14:58 UTC, the Beech 33 Bonanza entered the TMA IV LKPR without authorization or communication. The aircraft continued through TMA II and TMA III, only establishing two-way contact with the Prague FIC at 15:15 UTC. Following instructions from the FIC, the pilot was notified of the airspace infringement and subsequently instructed to transition to Brno Approach.
In a subsequent report regarding the prolonged loss of communication, the pilot stated an attempt was made to contact the tower on 118.1 MHz, but no response was received. The investigation found no evidence in the ATC records to support the claim that a contact attempt was made on the tower frequency.
The investigation
The ÚZPLN investigation examined ATC recordings and flight data. The inquiry focused on the pilot's procedures for transitioning between flight information regions and the failure to establish communication prior to entering controlled airspace. The investigation also reviewed the actions taken by the Prague FIC to identify the aircraft and notify approach control.
Findings
- The pilot failed to follow established procedures for reporting position when transitioning from the Munich FIR to the Prague FIR.
- The pilot continued on the planned flight path into Class C controlled airspace without obtaining required ATC clearance or establishing two-way communication.
- The pilot's claim of attempting to contact the tower frequency was not substantiated by ATC records.
- The pilot failed to establish two-way communication with the appropriate ATC unit before entering controlled airspace.
- Meteorological conditions were CAVOK and suitable for visual navigation.
- The Prague FIC acted appropriately by attempting to establish contact and notifying the relevant approach control center.