Helicopter crash near Rzeszów kills two brothers

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The news in Polish

1. pobliże  (n.)
   miejsce niedaleko jakiegoś punktu; okolica blisko czegoś ↩︎
2. helikopter  (m.)
   statek powietrzny z obracającym się śmigłem nad kabiną, który może startować pionowo ↩︎
3. widoczność  (f.)
   to, jak daleko i jak dobrze można coś zobaczyć, zwykle z powodu pogody ↩︎
4. katastrofa  (f.)
   bardzo poważny wypadek, często z ofiarami i dużymi zniszczeniami ↩︎
5. śledztwo  (n.)
   oficjalne postępowanie prowadzone przez policję lub prokuraturę, aby wyjaśnić, co się stało ↩︎
6. służba  (f.)
   instytucje lub grupy ludzi wykonujące określone zadania dla państwa, np. policja, straż pożarna, pogotowie ratunkowe ↩︎

Translation

Text comprehension

Question 1: What weather conditions made it difficult for the rescuers to find the place of the helicopter crash?

Question 2: What is the current status of the investigation into the cause of the helicopter crash?

Vocabulary

Polish	English
pobliże  (n.)	vicinity
helikopter  (m.)	helicopter
widoczność  (f.)	visibility
katastrofa  (f.)	disaster
śledztwo  (n.)	investigation
służba  (f.)	services (public services)

Read the full story

A private Robinson R44 helicopter crashed in thick fog near the village of Cierpisz, close to the city of Rzeszów in south‑eastern Poland, killing two brothers on board. Polish investigators are examining the wreckage and flight route, but the exact cause of the accident has not yet been established.

According to the district prosecutor’s office in Rzeszów, the four‑seat helicopter took off from the town of Krosno, made an intermediate landing in Zagorzyce, and then continued in the direction of Przeworsk. Near the village of Malawa the aircraft unexpectedly turned north. It then flew in a slight arc, gradually losing altitude, striking the tops of trees and finally crashing into a forested slope at around 15:35 local time.

The crash site lies a few hundred metres from Magdalenka, the highest hill in the area, popular with tourists for its viewing tower and panorama of the Tatra Mountains. This hill forms part of the Rzeszów Foothills, which rise almost 200 metres above the surrounding Sandomierz Basin. Some local commentators have suggested that in such terrain a pilot approaching from the lower basin might misjudge height if visibility is poor, but investigators have not yet confirmed this as a cause.

Emergency services received the first report of the crash at 15:50. The helicopter had caught fire after impact and was completely burned when rescuers arrived. Firefighters reached the wreck on foot and by quad bike because the area is steep and muddy, making normal vehicle access very difficult. Around 50 firefighters from 15 units, supported by a specialist drone team from Przeworsk and soldiers from the Territorial Defence Forces, took part in the operation.

On site, firefighters and prosecutors found the bodies of two men, aged 41 and 44, both from the Przeworsk district. Local media report that the victims were brothers. They died at the scene. Their bodies have been secured for autopsies, which prosecutors say should help clarify whether any sudden health problems or other factors played a role.

Weather conditions at the time of the accident were described as extremely difficult. Prosecutor Katarzyna Drupka, deputy district prosecutor in Rzeszów, said visibility in the area was reduced by dense fog to only several metres. She noted that, based on current information, investigators are considering a number of possible scenarios, including the influence of fog and moisture on the engine and the possibility that very poor visibility caused the pilot to lose orientation. However, she stressed that it is still too early to indicate a definitive cause, and other explanations are not excluded.

Some media, citing unofficial early findings, have raised the question of whether the pilot might not have noticed that he was already above rising ground near Magdalenka, where the terrain suddenly becomes higher than the surrounding plain. These reports also ask what altitude the helicopter’s on‑board instruments showed and how the weather might have affected navigation. At this stage such points are treated as working hypotheses rather than confirmed facts.

The State Commission for the Investigation of Aircraft Accidents (PKBWL) began its inspection of the scene the following morning, under the supervision of the prosecutor. Investigators secured pieces of the wreckage, as well as fuel and oil samples, for detailed analysis. Documentation related to the helicopter, the pilot and the flight plan has also been collected, and witnesses are being interviewed.

Documents found at the site show that the helicopter underwent a technical inspection in a specialist company the day before the accident and reportedly passed it successfully. The PKBWL is expected to publish a preliminary report within about 30 days and a more comprehensive report within roughly two months. Until these findings are released, prosecutors and aviation experts are avoiding final conclusions about what led to the crash.

The accident near Cierpisz has drawn attention in Poland not only because of the tragic death of two brothers, but also because it occurred in a well‑known recreational area close to a regional capital. For observers outside the country, it highlights the challenges of general aviation in hilly terrain and rapidly changing weather conditions, issues that investigators will now examine in detail.

Info: ‘Polish Learner News’ is a service from ‘Let’s Learn Polish’, a dedicated Polish language school offering various types of online courses for learners at different levels. We provide structured lessons and resources to support consistent progress in learning Polish.