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Diamond DA40 deteriorated rubber fuel hose AD

Here

Owners of an estimated 737 Diamond DA40 aircraft (various models) in the U.S. registry will need to inspect their fuel tanks for the deteriorated remains of a rubber fuel hose, according to an airworthiness directive published July 15, effective August 4.
The FAA invited public comment on the AD, which allows up to 100 flight hours after August 4 to complete the required inspection and replace the fuel hoses. The AD applies to Diamond Aircraft Industries models DA40, DA40F, and DA40NG airplanes, and addresses an unsafe condition – deterioration of the rubber fuel tank connection hoses – that could restrict fuel flow and starve the engine.

Does anyone know what happened here? Was it just a hose manufactured in the wrong material?

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

A wings off job then!

Any info on the reason?

I can’t find whether this is just the -180 i.e. the avgas version.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

I rented a few times an early DA40-180. It had small black deposits on every fuel drain sample. The owner told me ‘it’s normal, happens all the time’.

I’m sure it’s the same issue. Glad some action is taken. I hope nobody was injured.

LFOU, France

It does not seem to be a new thing? maybe related to a past SB that is now an AD? I know one EuroGA pilot who had partial power loss in Q4 2018, after overhauling engine Diamond Aircraft did come back with an explanation inline with their past SB on 1/ water & sediments checks in the fuel and 2/ fuel injector change, I was expecting all operators would have complied?

It was more a problem for Austro Engine as it causes issues to FADEC controls, the blame went to fuel contamination but no mention of fuel tanks rubber or any associated sediments…

A quote from DA com:

“…the reason for the failure was a bad injector behavior (means possible injection timing or fuel quality was faulty). As a matter of fact and due to safety reasons by having seen similar cases on other engines we have issued the new service bulleting which results in an injector change at 900hrs at the moment.

To answer your question – in general we do not see a failure from operator side by that occurrence however we do ask and please our customers and operators to always make the water drain check as written in the AFM."

Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

Was that partial power loss over the N Sea by any chance?

So this is on diesel engines after all…

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Not the twins, on the single engine DA40NG it lost partial power while pilot was flying in the local, he landed safely AFAIK

Paris/Essex, France/UK, United Kingdom

Why would this happen on singles and not twins? They have the same fuel tanks, AFAIK.

On twins there is always a huge under-reporting of any issues, however.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom
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