Warsaw – Szczecin

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 Wieslaw 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 Glówka, Sgt Tadeusz Blazejczyk. Passengers (Polish Ministry of the Interior): Wieslaw Ociepka, Minister, Col Czeslaw Karski, Col Wieslaw Zajda, Maj Wlodzimierz Strzelecki, Maj Mieczyslaw Szumowski, Wlodzimierz Andrzej Wulkiewicz, Mikolaj 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 / Schedule

Warsaw – Szczecin

Aircraft

Antonov AN-24

Registration

012

MSN

97305702

Year of Manufacture

1969

Date

February 28, 1973 at 10:52 PM

Type

CRASH

Flight Type

Military

Flight Phase

Landing (descent or approach)

Crash Site

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Crash Location

Szczecin-Goleniów West Pomeranian Voivodeship (Zachodniopomorskie)

Region

Europe • Poland

Coordinates

53.3632°, 14.5796°

Crash Cause

Weather

Narrative Report

On February 28, 1973 at 10:52 PM, Warsaw – Szczecin experienced a crash involving Antonov AN-24, operated by Polish Air Force - Polska Wojska Lotnicze i Obrony Powietrznej, with the event recorded near Szczecin-Goleniów West Pomeranian Voivodeship (Zachodniopomorskie).

The flight was categorized as military and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

18 people were known to be on board, 18 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 5, crew fatalities: 5, passengers on board: 13, passenger fatalities: 13, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. 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 Wieslaw 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 Glówka, Sgt Tadeusz Blazejczyk. Passengers (Polish Ministry of the Interior): Wieslaw Ociepka, Minister, Col Czeslaw Karski, Col Wieslaw Zajda, Maj Wlodzimierz Strzelecki, Maj Mieczyslaw Szumowski, Wlodzimierz Andrzej Wulkiewicz, Mikolaj 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.

Aircraft reference details include registration 012, MSN 97305702, year of manufacture 1969.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 53.3632°, 14.5796°.

Fatalities

Total

18

Crew

5

Passengers

13

Other

0

Crash Summary

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 Wieslaw 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 Glówka, Sgt Tadeusz Blazejczyk. Passengers (Polish Ministry of the Interior): Wieslaw Ociepka, Minister, Col Czeslaw Karski, Col Wieslaw Zajda, Maj Wlodzimierz Strzelecki, Maj Mieczyslaw Szumowski, Wlodzimierz Andrzej Wulkiewicz, Mikolaj 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.

Cause: Weather

Occupants & Outcome

Crew On Board

5

Passengers On Board

13

Estimated Survivors

0

Fatality Rate

100.0%

Known people on board: 18

Operational Details

Schedule / Flight

Warsaw – Szczecin

Flight Type

Military

Flight Phase

Landing (descent or approach)

Crash Site

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Region / Country

Europe • Poland

Aircraft Details

Aircraft

Antonov AN-24

Registration

012

MSN

97305702

Year of Manufacture

1969