# Incident 20240208015449I: Diamond Aircraft Ind Inc DA 40 NG, Smithfield, NC, February 8, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: February 8, 2024, 13:00 local time
- Place: Smithfield, NC
- Airport: Johnston Regional
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: 8BLS
- Location: 35.5409° N, 78.3903° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at JOHNSTON RGNL (JNX), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=35.5409&lon=-78.3903&mi=10
- Aircraft: N517BL, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N517BL) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 NG (registry code 2990014, https://openairdocs.org/model/diamond-aircraft-ind-da-40-ng) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Austro E4-A (registry code 06402, https://openairdocs.org/engine/austro-e4-a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: DIAMOND AIRCRAFT IND INC DA 40 NG
- Reported engine: AUSTRO E4-A
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240208015449I

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

AT ABOUT 9 MILES WEST OF THE FIELD, AN ABNORMAL CLANGING NOISE WAS HEARD.

WE BEGAN A CLIMB FROM 3500’ TO ENSURE FIELD WOULD BE MADE IN CASE OF ENGINE FAILURE. AT 7 MILES OUT AND 5000 FEET, AN ECU A AND B ANNUNCIATION WAS OBSERVED.

AT 5 MILES OUT, THE OIL PRESSURE FAILED AND BROUGHT POWER IDLE TO GLIDE THE PLANE INTO JNX.

ON 3-MILE BASE, OIL PRESSURE DROPPED TO ZERO; FROM THERE, WE HAD SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO MAKE THE RUNWAY REASONABLY, SO NO FURTHER TROUBLESHOOTING ACTION WAS TAKEN. WE LANDED AND TAXIED OFF OF THE RUNWAY, AND THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN SHORTLY AFTER DURING THE TAXI.

INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED A LARGE HOLE IN THE BLOCK. POST-MAINTENANCE INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED A PROBABLE FAILURE OF AN INNER BEARING CAP SCREW. AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE HAS SINCE BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS ISSUE (AD2024-05-01)

AN SDR WAS SUBMITTED - 2024FA0000141

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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