Lake Śniardwy air crash

Causes

The following contributed to the crash:

weather conditions — due to fog, visibility was limited to 300 metres over land and 20–50 metres over the lake; in addition, due to the wind, the surface of the lake was quite strongly agitated;

errors made by the pilot:

the decision to fly despite unfavourable weather conditions — the pilot received permission to take off, but it was conditional permission (the flight with tourists could take place if visibility on site was not less than 1500 metres, whereas in reality it did not exceed 300 metres);

too low a flight altitude — about 100 metres (the pilot flew so low wanting to provide the tourists with good viewing conditions);

an unjustified and incorrectly executed descent manoeuvre over the lake (the pilot performed it because in the thick fog he lost visual contact with the surface of the lake) — the pilot should have turned back and increased the flight altitude; lowering it from 100 metres in fog was permissible in exceptional conditions (e.g. a rescue operation) in a hover by an experienced crew and must be done very carefully. The pilot, however, began a turn to the right and at the same time began descending. When at a height below 50 metres the pilot saw the surface of the lake, he tried to level off, but he was a few metres short and the helicopter hit a wave with its landing gear, after which the pilot lost control of the helicopter and it nosed over, after which the machine sank.