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DA42 engine out emergency at KTOA yesterday.

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 5:34 pm
by Don
Yesterday, I was killing some time sitting in my car on the ramp watching students making crosswind landings and listening to the tower on my handheld. Torrance airport has two parallel runways, 29 right and 29 left. The wind was 250 at 20kts and gusting to 27kts with some low level wind sheer. A Twin Star from Angel City Flight School out of Long Beach was doing some pattern work. Shortly after take off, I heard the Twin Star declare an emergency on the upwind. The tower gave him immediate clearance to land on 29 right. The pilot was very calm and made a text book crosswind landing on a single engine. Driving back to my hanger I passed the transient parking and briefly talked with the pilot. He was a Multi Engine
student. He said that on the upwind, the right prop became a runaway at extreme high RPM's and he had to shut the engine down. I then complimented him on his perfect single engine crosswind landing.Thinking about it later, if I ever decided to go the multi engine route, it would definitely be in a Diamond.

Re: DA42 engine out emergency at KTOA yesterday.

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 6:04 pm
by haykinson
Is this the second in flight engine failure in a Diamond from that maint shop in the month since after David Seasted left?

Re: DA42 engine out emergency at KTOA yesterday.

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 6:35 pm
by Colin
Correct. Second incident.

Re: DA42 engine out emergency at KTOA yesterday.

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 8:11 pm
by Boatguy
I realize the net effect to the pilot is the same, but do you think this was an engine failure or a reduction gear/governor failure?

Re: DA42 engine out emergency at KTOA yesterday.

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2019 11:47 pm
by Don
I am no expert but the reduction gear assembly/governor would be my first suspect for a runaway prop.
I was at the airport around eleven this morning and noticed that two guys were working on the right engine.
When I pass later in the afternoon, the transient parking spot was vacant so I assume they got it fixed and returned to their home base in Long Beach.

Re: DA42 engine out emergency at KTOA yesterday.

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 12:52 pm
by CFIDave
Thielert (Continental) or Austro failure?

Re: DA42 engine out emergency at KTOA yesterday.

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2019 6:55 pm
by Don
CFIDave wrote: Sat Apr 13, 2019 12:52 pm Thielert (Continental) or Austro failure?
Dave,
The FAA registration has this particular aircraft listed as being powered by Austro E4's.

Re: DA42 engine out emergency at KTOA yesterday.

Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2019 5:29 am
by Colin
When my FADEC was failing recently I had a racing prop. All sorts of fun stuff, but apparently it is a circuit board issue, not a mechanical issue.

Re: DA42 engine out emergency at KTOA yesterday.

Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2019 6:36 pm
by Don
Just out of curiosity, are the propellers on a DA 42 counter rotating?

Re: DA42 engine out emergency at KTOA yesterday.

Posted: Sun Apr 14, 2019 7:52 pm
by TwinStarScott
Don,

No, they are not. At least for the CD-135's.