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 all E4P engines, primarily found in Diamond DA42 NG and DA62 aircraft.
- The AD addresses "considerable wear of the timing chain" on these engines, an unsafe condition also noted by EASA.
- This wear is suspected to be caused by windmill restarts, an emergency procedure that places high stress on the timing chain.
- If uncorrected, timing chain failure could result in engine power loss and reduced control of the aircraft.
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