AD NUMBER: 2010-11-09

MANUFACTURER: Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH (TAE) Models TAE 125-01 and TAE 125-02-99 Reciprocating Engines Installed in, but Not Limited to, Diamond Aircraft Industries Model DA 42 Airplanes.
SUBJECT: Airworthiness Directive 2010-11-09

Summary: This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by an aviation authority of another country to identify and correct an unsafe condition on an aviation product. The MCAI describes the unsafe condition as:

Engine in-flight shutdown incidents have been reported on Diamond Aircraft Industries DA 42 airplanes equipped with TAE 125 engines. The investigations showed that it was mainly the result of failure of the Proportional Pressure Reducing Valve (PPRV) (also known as Propeller Control Valve) due to high vibrations. This condition, if not corrected, could lead to further cases of engine in-flight shutdown, possibly resulting in reduced control of the aircraft.
Since the release of European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) AD 2008-0145, the engine gearbox has been identified as the primary source of vibrations for the PPRV, and it has also been determined that failure of the electrical connection to the PPRV could have contributed to some power loss events or in-flight shutdowns. 

The FAA is issuing this AD to prevent engine in-flight shutdown, possibly resulting in reduced control of the aircraft.
 

FMI: http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guidance_Library/rgAD.nsf/0/74F1BE816667CA048625773C004D8FB7?OpenDocument