On 23 January 2008, a
Polish Air Force
The Polish Air Force () is the aerial warfare Military branch, branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially known as ''Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej'' (). In 2014 it consisted of roughly 26,000 military personnel an ...
EADS CASA C-295
The Airbus C295 (previously CASA C-295) is a medium tactical transport aircraft that was designed and initially manufactured by the Spanish aerospace company CASA, which is now part of the European multinational Airbus Defence and Space divi ...
military transport plane, flying from
Warsaw
Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
, crashed in
Mirosławiec
Mirosławiec () is a town in Wałcz County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northwestern Poland, with 2,671 inhabitants (2010).
The 12th Air Base of the Polish Air Force is located north of the town.
History
Mirosławiec is a former private to ...
as it was attempting to land at the
12th Air Base
The 12 Baza Bezzałogowych Statków Powietrznych () is a Polish Air Force base, located 5 km north of Mirosławiec
Mirosławiec () is a town in Wałcz County, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northwestern Poland, with 2,671 inhabitants (2010 ...
, killing all 20 passengers and crew. The 20 victims on board included high-ranking Polish air force officers.
Among the fatalities was Brig. Gen. Andrzej Andrzejewski, commander of an air brigade based in Świdwin.
This was the first fatal accident involving a CASA C-295. Subsequently, all Polish C-295s were grounded until further notice.
Investigation
In the subsequent investigations the primary cause of the accident was determined to be an inadvertent loss of spatial and situational awareness by the aircraft crew during the landing approach in poor weather conditions, with a low cloud ceiling and little visibility.
A number of secondary causes and contributing factors were also found by the investigation after the accident, including deficiencies in the air traffic controllers' skills and methods of directing and controlling the landing. Military experts had qualified it as "the safest plane of the Polish air force".
Aftermath
The Polish defence minister
Bogdan Klich dismissed five air force personnel after the accident investigation concluded that multiple failings contributed to the crash.
See also
*
List of disasters in Poland by death toll
*
2010 Polish Air Force Tu-154 crash
On 10 April 2010, a Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft operating Polish Air Force Flight 101 crashed near the Russian city of Smolensk, killing List of casualties of the Smolensk air disaster, all 96 people on board. Among the victims were the president ...
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polish Air Force C-295 crash
2008 in Poland
Aviation accidents and incidents caused by pilot error
Aviation accidents and incidents in 2008
Accidents and incidents involving the EADS CASA C-295
Aviation accidents and incidents in Poland
History of Poland (1989–present)
January 2008 in Poland
2008 disasters in Poland
Accidents and incidents involving military aircraft