In the spring of 1972, it became necessary to evacuate a female tourist from Warsaw who had been injured while skiing at the Turbacz mountain shelter. An SM-1 helicopter belonging to the Air Ambulance Service in Katowice was called to help. Unfortunately, a gust of strong wind pushed the taking-off machine to the ground, completely destroying the main rotor blades. Fortunately, there were no casualties. After the damaged rotor was dismantled, the fuselage together with the tail boom was transported to the airfield in Katowice-Muchowiec by an Mi-2 helicopter summoned from Warsaw. By the end of that same year, the repaired SM-1 returned to service. The SM-1 was produced by the Transport Equipment Factory (WSK) in Świdnik from 1956 under license from the Soviet Mi-1 helicopter, which was the first such design by Mikhail Mil.
