Warsaw-Okęcie-Frederic Chopin

On final approach to Słupsk-Redzikowo Airport by night, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient. The airplane struck roadside trees, lost height and crashed in a snow covered field located two km short of runway 27, bursting into flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed and one passenger was killed while 51 other occupants were rescued, among them 33 were injured.

The four engine airplane was completing flight LO007 from Montreal to Warsaw via New York-JFK. On final approach to Warsaw-Okecie Airport runway 15, the crew reported problems with the landing gears that seemed to be down but not locked. At a height of about 250 meters, the captain was cleared to initiate a go-around and increased engine power when the engine n°2 exploded, damaging the engine n°1. Debris damaged the rudder and elevator control cables, causing the aircraft to enter an uncontrolled descent. In a 20° nose-down attitude, the aircraft speed increased to 380 km/h when it crashed in an embankment located by the Okecie Fort, about 900 meters short of runway 15 threshold. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 87 occupants were killed. On board were 14 members of the US boxing team and 10 coaches as well as Anna Jantar, a Polish singer.

After touchdown on runway 11 at Warsaw-Okecie Airport, the airplane was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran and struck a four meters high embankment. Upon impact, the right wing was torn off and the airplane came to rest in flames. There were no casualties while the aircraft was written off. The aircraft was christened 'Władysław Reymont'.

After takeoff from Sofia-Vrazhdebna Airport, the crew informed ATC about an unexpected situation and was cleared to return for an emergency landing. Control was lost from an altitude of 4,900 meters and the aircraft entered a spin and crashed in an open field located near the village of Gabare. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 73 occupants were killed.

Following an uneventful flight from Warsaw, the crew started the approach to Szczecin-Goleniów Airport by night and relative good weather conditions. On final, the airplane lost height, struck trees and crashed in flames in a wooded area located few dozen meters short of runway threshold. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 18 occupants were killed, among them the Polish Minister of the Interior Wiesław Ociepka and the Czechoslovak Minister of the Interior Radko Kaska. Accompanied by a delegation of their respective ministry, they were en route to Szczecin to visit sea port installations.
Crew:
Maj Edward Jedynak, pilot,
Cpt Kazimierz Marczak, pilot,
Cpt Daniel Sterna, navigator,
Cpt Janusz Główka,
Sgt Tadeusz Błażejczyk.
Passengers (Polish Ministry of the Interior):
Wiesław Ociepka, Minister,
Col Czesław Karski,
Col Wiesław Zajda,
Maj Włodzimierz Strzelecki,
Maj Mieczysław Szumowski,
Włodzimierz Andrzej Wulkiewicz,
Mikołaj Stefan Tomala.
Passengers (Czechoslovak Ministry of the Interior):
Radko Kaska, Minister,
Michal Kudzej,
Col Jaroslav Klíma,
Lt Col Ladislav Hužvík,
Maj Olga Merunová,
Antonín Dufek.

Flight LO149 was a scheduled domestic flight from Warsaw to Wrocław. It took off from Warsaw at 1635 hours local time carrying a crew of 4 and 44 passengers. The flight was uneventful and about 10 minutes before reaching the Wrocław non-directional radio beacon, it was cleared by the Area Control Centre to descend from its cruising altitude of 4 500 m to 1 500 m and instructed to contact the Wrocław Control Zone. The Control Zone cleared the flight to 1 500 m, requested it to report when passing over the NDB - ETA 1722 hours - and gave it the latest weather information for Wrocław as being: cloud base 150 m, visibility 1600 m in light fog, wind 3000 to 310013 to 4 mfsec, QFE 765.5 mm. Hg. The altimeters were set at the correct setting and after having reported over the NDB the flight, which was descending towards the outer locator, was warned by the Control Zone that the visibility had deteriorated to 800 m, i.e. 300 m below the minimum authorized for landing at Wrocław Airport. However, the pilot continued to descend in the direction of the outer locator. At an altitude of 90 m the pilot-in-command ordered a reduction of engine power and flew over the outer locator at an altitude of 50 to 60 m instead of the prescribed 225 m. He reported over the outer locator and shortly thereafter was advised that the visibility had further deteriorated to 400 m and that fog had appeared. In spite of this information the pilot continued his approach and informed the Control Zone that he would try to land. After passing the outer locator the rate of descent of the aircraft was probably established at approximately 3 to 5 m/sec and the last altitude reported by the flight engineer was 30 m. Seven hundred metres beyond the outer locator the aircraft was levelled qff at a height of 10 m and both wings cut the tops of some trees. As a result of the impact part of the right wing (3 m long) and of its aileron were torn off from the aircraft and the aircraft went into a 400 bank to the right. Approximately 145 m from the point of contact with the trees, the right wing came into contact with the ground and left a trace 41 m long. The aircraft was then momentarily straightened up but the right wing dropped again, contacted the ground again and was further damaged. At approximately 350 m from the point of initial contact with the trees, the aircraft, still banked to the right, struck two 30 000 volt power lines breaking all six electric cables with its fuselage and left wing. It then flew over 5 railway tracks and struck with its right wing the five overhead electric traction cables as well as 25 wires of the railway signalling equipment located 60 cm above the ground. All cables and wires were broken and the right wing of the aircraft became entangled in the wires. This reduced the speed of the aircraft and straightened it up, but the angle strut of the right landing gear was damaged and the right landing gear folded backwards. After having travelled a short distance nearly level, with the left landing gear rolling on the ground, the nose gear and right propeller became detached and the aircraft turned slightly to the right, 141 m farther on the left landing gear struck a road embankment 70 cm high and immediately thereafter the aircraft struck a steel electric light pole on the road and bent it to the ground. The aircraft then made a 180° turn and came to a stop on the road at a point located 3.5 km before the threshold of the runway and nearly on the extended centre line of the runway. The accident occurred at 1730 hours.

On final approach to Warsaw-Okecie Airport, the aircraft lost height and crashed 100 meters short of runway threshold. All 15 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The crew departed the WSK-Okęcie factory at Warsaw-Okęcie Airport for a test flight on this first prototype built on 21 of July 1959. The goal of the mission was to measure the pressure distribution on the hull in order to select the optimal position of the static pressure sensor. En route, in unknown circumstances, control was lost and the airplane crashed in a field, killing all five crew members.

On final approach to Warsaw-Okecie Airport, following an uneventful flight from Berlin-Schönefeld Airport, the crew received the permission to land. 46 seconds later, while at an altitude of 60-70 meters, the four engine aircraft stalled and crashed in a snow covered field located 1,335 meters short of runway 33 threshold. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 33 occupants were killed.

The crew was conducting a local training mission at Warsaw-Okecie Airport. On final approach, the four engine aircraft went out of control, stalled and crashed in a field short of runway. All four crew members were injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.