In an action meant to address an “unsafe condition” on Diamond twins using these engines, the FAA published an airworthiness directive on July 27, that applies to certain Austro Engine GmbH model E4s and all E4P engines. The directive follows up on reports of “considerable wear of the timing chain on the affected engines,” according to the publication in the Federal Register. The AD supercedes a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published on October 25, 2018, calling for periodic inspections of the timing chain and updates to the aircraft flight manuals (AFMs) in question to limit the use of windmill restarts during emergency procedures. The engines can be found in the DA42 NG and the DA62.
Austro E4 and E4P Engines Targeted by AD
Key Takeaways:
- The FAA issued an airworthiness directive (AD) on July 27 for certain Austro Engine GmbH E4 and E4P models used in Diamond DA42 NG and DA62 aircraft.
- The AD addresses "considerable wear of the timing chain" which could lead to engine power loss and reduced aircraft control, an issue also highlighted by EASA.
- It mandates periodic timing chain inspections and updates to aircraft flight manuals to limit windmilling restarts, which are suspected to cause the timing chain wear.
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