History of the Flight
On 12 March 2025, a Tecnam P2002-JF registered F-HTPS was involved in two successive events. Earlier that day, an instructor detected a fuel gauge fault on the right-hand tank during a pre-flight inspection for a planned cross-country training flight. He cancelled the flight but did not record the fault in the aircraft’s logbook. Later, another pilot, accompanied by a passenger, took the aircraft for runway circuits without knowing about the gauge issue. The pilot checked the fuel gauges which indicated around 50 liters in the right tank and 25 liters in the left, but did not visually confirm the actual quantities.
During the fourth runway circuit at about 500 ft altitude, the engine misfired and shut down. The electric fuel pump was already on; the passenger applied carburettor heat. The pilot transmitted an emergency message and chose to land in a nearby field of wet grass. He extended flaps and landed without damage or injury.
After landing, the aircraft was found to have approximately 25 liters of fuel in the left tank and an empty right tank. No damage was observed from the landing.
Take-Off Attempt from Field
Since the aircraft was undamaged, a take-off from the 240-meter-long field was considered. The operator applied a correction factor of 1.3 to take-off distances to account for soft ground, concluding that the take-off was possible. A prefectural order authorized the take-off under certain conditions.
At around 17:25, a different pilot, an instructor for the operator, conducted test take-off runs. He positioned the aircraft at the north end of the field. The Brest tower controller reported a northerly wind of 5 kt, but the pilot perceived a light wind. He started the take-off run; acceleration was normal until 35 kt, then weak. The aircraft reached 40 kt at three-quarters of the field length. The pilot judged that rejecting the take-off would result in a collision with the fence and continued. During rotation, the main landing gear struck the field’s fence. The pilot heard the impact and continued the take-off, requesting a low pass for visual inspection of the landing gear before landing at Brest Bretagne airport.
Damage
The aircraft sustained damage to the right-hand flap and left-hand main landing gear due to fence wire impact. The engine mount and nose gear hardware showed wear and were replaced.
Meteorological Information
The 17:30 METAR from Brest Bretagne airport reported wind from 010° at 7 kt, varying between 330° and 030°, CAVOK, temperature 8°C.
Pilot Information
The pilot who attempted the take-off from the field held an ATPL(A) and had over 6,500 flight hours, including 600 hours on the Tecnam P2002. He was an instructor and examiner for Iroise Aéro Formation.
Operational Context
The operator, Iroise Aéro Formation, is a DSAC-approved training organization. Following the emergency landing, the operator issued reminders about recording technical faults, transmitting information, and verifying fuel quantities visually.
Conclusion
The aircraft struck the fence during the take-off attempt. The damaged components were replaced, and the aircraft was returned to service.