A former volleyball player has died after his helicopter crashed into a mountain.
The Robinson R44 Raven II abruptly disappeared from radar at around 1:30am on Wednesday (3 Jun), while flying at an altitude of 850–1,000m.
A search operation involving more than 100 people was quickly launched, but was severely hampered by dense fog that reduced visibility to near zero, as well as extremely limited access to the area.
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At around 7:40am, firefighters located the wreckage in difficult, forested terrain on the slopes of Mount Lubogoszcz near Kasina Wielka in southern Poland.
One person died in the crash – the pilot of the aircraft, former volleyball player Błażej Czarnecki.
The 30-year-old’s body was found in the wreckage, with a doctor confirming death from multiple traumatic injuries.
Czarnecki, a qualified pilot, had taken off from Bodrogkisfalud in Hungary and was en route to Zator in Poland at the time of the crash.
He had played as an outside hitter for several Polish volleyball clubs, beginning his career with Czarni Radom U21 during the 2012/13 season.
He went on to represent LKPS Politechnika Pszczółka Lublin, MKS Avia Świdnik, KKS Kozienice and Arka Tempo Chełm, including spells in the second tier of Polish volleyball.
He ended his playing career with Międzyrzeckie Towarzystwo Siatkarskie in the 2022/23 season.
Czarnecki also had a strong passion for aviation, studying at the Polish Air Force University in Dęblin while still competing in sport.
He later left professional volleyball to pursue aviation full-time, as reported by Need To Know.
He held a commercial helicopter pilot licence, a private pilot licence for aeroplanes, and also worked as a flight instructor.
The cause of the crash remains unknown and is being investigated by the State Commission on Aircraft Accidents Investigation and the prosecutor’s office.
He is survived by his family, including his father, former volleyball coach Sławomir Czarnecki.
His former club Avia Świdnik paid tribute, writing: “We will never forget your sincere smile. You will always remain in our hearts.”
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