Incident Narrative
On 15 November 2025 at 14:30 local time, a Tecnam P2008 aircraft registered YR-8901 was conducting a private training flight from Aerodrom Timișești–Dumbrava in Neamț County, Romania. The pilot performed two touch-and-go landings without noting any issues. After the second takeoff, a person at the aerodrome observed that the right main landing gear wheel was hanging and informed the pilot by telephone, also calling emergency services (112). The pilot decided to wait for emergency crews to arrive and continued flying in the vicinity of the aerodrome for approximately 20 minutes. Once firefighters and an ambulance had arrived, the pilot initiated an emergency landing procedure, attempting to land on the left main wheel only. However, shortly after the left wheel contact, the right wheel also touched the ground, causing the aircraft to rotate and stop without overturning. During the landing rollout, the left main wheel detached.
Damage and Injuries
The aircraft sustained the following damage: both main wheels detached, the nose gear leg broken, and propeller blade tips broken. The pilot did not suffer any injuries and did not require medical attention.
Maintenance Background
One week prior to the incident, on 8 November 2025, the pilot performed maintenance on the aircraft, which included removing the fairings from the main wheels. To do so, he disassembled the wheel axle, which is attached to the steel leaf spring with four bolts secured by washers and nuts. After removing the fairings, he reassembled the wheels but omitted installing the washers and nuts. The wheels were placed in position but not secured to the landing gear assembly. The aircraft did not fly between 8 and 15 November 2025. On the day of the incident, the pilot prepared the aircraft for flight and performed a pre-flight inspection but did not notice that the wheel axle nuts were missing.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the right main wheel became detached from its mount after the second takeoff, remaining attached to the aircraft only by the hydraulic brake line. The left main wheel detached during the subsequent landing rollout. The omission of the washers and nuts during maintenance was identified as the reason the wheels were not properly secured. The investigation noted that distractions or interruptions during maintenance may have contributed to the omission. Weather conditions did not influence the incident.