What happened
On 19 April 2018, a Tecnam P2008-JC, registration G-HRLE, was involved in an accident at Fishburn Airfield, Durham, during a private flight. After being stationary for three weeks, the aircraft was taxied to a refueling point where the pilot replenished the fuel levels. Following the completion of standard pre-takeoff procedures, the pilot commenced a departure from the grass runway 08.
As the aircraft reached an altitude of approximately 150 ft agl, the engine began to sputter and subsequently lost power. This forced the pilot to perform an emergency landing in a nearby field of rapeseed. The impact with the ground was heavy, leading to the collapse of the landing gear and significant damage to the wings. The aircraft remained upright, and the pilot was able to exit the cockpit safely without injury.
An engineer on the scene observed the power loss during the climb and reached the aircraft promptly. Upon noticing smoke and flames emerging from the left side of the engine compartment, the witness opened the right cowling and used an onboard extinguisher to suppress a small fire.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft and the engine following the incident. While the engine was found to rotate freely and had not suffered a seizure, the fire had caused damage to various components, including the fuel system. Due to the extent of the fire damage, the specific cause of the initial power loss could not be identified.