# Incident 20260126000949I: Diamond Aircraft Ind Inc DA 40, Castroville, TX, January 26, 2026

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 26, 2026, 17:15 local time
- Place: Castroville, TX
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: Y08S
- Location: 29.3623° N, 98.8548° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Castroville, TX, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=29.3623&lon=-98.8548&mi=10
- Aircraft: N656BC, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N656BC) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Diamond Aircraft Ind DA 40 (registry code 2990002, https://openairdocs.org/model/diamond-aircraft-ind-da-40) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming I0360 series (registry code 41515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: DIAMOND AIRCRAFT IND INC DA 40
- Reported engine: LYCOMING I0360 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot
- Pilot flight hours: 972 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260126000949I

## Narrative

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

ON JANUARY 26, 2026, AT APPROXIMATELY 1715 LOCAL TIME, A DIAMOND DA-40 AIRCRAFT WAS INVOLVED IN AN INCIDENT DURING AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT. THE FLIGHT WAS NORMAL UNTIL LEVEL AT 6000FT WHEN ENGINE PERFORMANCE LOSS BEGAN, PILOT CHOSE TO RETURN, ENGINE OPERATION DETERIORATED STEADILY UNTIL COMPLETE ENGINE FAILURE, RESULTING IN FORCED LANDING.  PILOT MAINTAINED CONTROL THROUGHOUT EVENT AND WAS ABLE TO LAND THE AIRCRAFT SAFELY IN AN OPEN FIELD WITH NO SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE OR INJURY TO OCCUPANTS.

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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