Lost but not forgotten

This tragedy shook all of Poland and will always stay a black card in the past of Polish military aviation. On January 23, 2008, CASA C-295M aircraft was scheduled to land at Mirosławec airport. Unfortunately, a fewer minutes after 19 o'clock, just before the landing approach, the transport crashed to the ground. 20 soldiers were killed at the time.

As all year, soldiers will besides commemorate their tragically deceased colleagues this time. Yesterday, on the site of the 8th Transport Air Base, where the crew of the C-295 aircraft came from, a mass was celebrated in the intention of the victims of the disaster, and the candles lit under the memorial dedicated to them. present in Mirosławec there will be central celebrations, which will be attended by delegation of the 8th BLTr at the head of the commander.

Casy's military plane crash was a immense blow to the army. On January 23, at 19.07 p.m., before the landing approach, the plane abruptly lowered the flight. The device caught trees and then about 800 m from the airport fell to the ground. All persons on board were killed then: 16 high-ranking air force officers and 4 C-295M crew members. Airmen, elite of Polish air forceThey were coming back from a conference on flight safety. During this tragic flight they traveled 1 of the latest aircraft. Casa with side number 019 was produced 1 year before the crash and spent about 400 hours in the air.

On the obelisk, which stood in the forest clearing, at the site of the disaster, the names of the soldiers and the words “lost but not forgotten, defeated not in conflict but by fate.” Under Mirosłowiec, the following died: Maj. Gen. Pil. Andrzej Andrzejewski (commander of the 1st Tactical Aviation Brigade), Brig. Jerzy Pilate (12th Tactical Aviation Squadron), Brig. Dariusz Mastlik (1st Tactical Aviation Brigade), Col. Zbigniew Ksiązek (22nd Aviation Base), Col. Wojciech Maniewski (40th Tactical Aviation Squadron), Col. Zdzisław Cieślik (1st Tactical Aviation Brigade), Col. Dariusz Pawlak (12th Aviation Base), Col. Piotr Firlinger (21st Aviation Base), Col. Grzegorz Jułga (8th Tactical Aviation Squadron), Col. Robert Maj (1st Tactical Aviation Brigade), Col. Krzysztof Smołuch (Air Force Command), Col. Miroslaw Wilczyński (1st Tactical Aviation Brigade), Maj. The crew was formed by experienced pilots from Balic: Captain Pił. Robert Kuźma, Captain Pił. Michał Smyczyński, Chor. Janusz Adamczyk and Colonel Jarosław Haladus. The crew commander was Captain Kuźma, who spent almost 2500 hours in the air.

The causes of the disaster were explained by the Commission of Aviation Accidents Investigation and the Military territory Prosecutor's Office in Poznań. Investigators established that on January 23, 2008, the aircraft was technically efficient, and that the accident resulted, among others, in adverse weather conditions and pilots' error, which caused the aircraft's overturning to the left, which in turn contributed to a drop in carrier force, fast descent and yet collision with the ground.

The conclusions of the tragedy at Mirosłowiec and then the next 1 – the plane crash close Smolensk in 2010 – led to a change in aviation regulations. Modified, among others. records of flights of HEAD status, i.e. erstwhile on board a military aircraft or chopper the President, Prime Minister or Speakers of the Sejm and the legislature travels. It was besides ordered that pilots who sit behind the steering wheel of V.I.P. machines on board have experience in combat flights and a minimum of 1000 hours spent in the air.