Diamond DA40 Door Separation From Aircraft At rotation speed on the takeoff roll, the aft passenger door (p/n DA4-5221-00-00-2) departed the airframe, narrowly missing the tail plane and rudder. The door was later recovered. The aft hinge was broken off and the forward hinge damaged. Investigation revealed the hinge had cracked (then broke), due in part to the materials used in part fabrication and the high pressure placed upon it by the door opening strut (p/n DA4-9052-00-11). The door and hinge are one assembly made of composite material. The hinge is approximately -inch wide. The strut is attached near the rear hinge. It exerts approximately 90 pounds of force near the hinge attach point. Even though the door employs a safety latch handle, when the aft hinge fails the door flexes enough to slide past the stop. Inspection of another aircraft in this operators fleet found another in-flight door separation. Part Total Time: 615 hours. Robinson R22 Broken T/R Pedal Support The instructor and student were practicing autorotations. On the third autorotation, with the aircraft settling to the ground, the student was “inputting 288
Diamond Door Departs
At rotation speed on the takeoff roll, the aft passenger door (p/n DA4-5221-00-00-2) departed the airframe, narrowly missing the tail plane and rudder. The door was later recovered. The aft hinge was broken off and the forward hinge damaged. Investigation revealed the hinge had cracked (then broke), due in part to the materials used in part fabrication and the high pressure placed upon it by the door opening strut (p/n DA4-9052-00-11). The door and hinge are one assembly made of composite material. The hinge is approximately -inch wide. The strut is attached near the rear hinge. It exerts approximately 90 pounds of force near the hinge attach point. Even though the door employs a safety latch handle, when the aft hinge fails the door flexes enough to slide past the stop.
Key Takeaways:
- The Diamond DA40 experienced an aft passenger door separation during takeoff due to a cracked composite hinge, attributed to material weaknesses and stress from the door strut, with the safety latch proving ineffective upon hinge failure.
- A Robinson R22’s tail rotor pedals became bound during autorotation practice due to a broken bearing block support, indicating a potential structural weakness under stress.
- An alternator failed on a Continental GTSIO-520-H engine after recent repair due to missing tab lock plates on its attach bolts, underscoring the critical need for thorough post-maintenance inspections.
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