Ownership guide
Diamond DA 42
258 registered in the US, built from about 2005 to 2026, 4 seats, most with the Austro Engine E4. Its Airworthiness Directives, its engines', and what to check before buying one.
The fleet
- Registered in the US
- 258
- Built
- 2005 to 2026
- Half built by
- 2010
- Seats
- 4
- Engine type
- Piston
- Most common engine
- Austro Engine E4
Engines installed
- Austro Engine E4147 aircraft (57%) · 11 ADs, 5 with a repeat action
- Thielert TAE76 aircraft (29%) · 18 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
- Lycoming IO-36010 aircraft (4%) · 29 ADs, 4 with a repeat action
From the FAA aircraft registry, rebuilt daily. Years are those recorded on each registration.
Airworthiness Directives
23 current ADs name the DA 42 airframe, 11 with a repeat action; 5 more were superseded. Its engines carry 58 more.
The ones that come back
ADs with a repeat action: an inspection or replacement at an interval, for as long as the AD applies. These are the airworthiness costs an owner keeps paying.
- 2026-14-08Requires revising the existing airplane flight manual (AFM) for your airplane to provide the flight crew with revised operating limitations, repetitively inspecting certain NLG hydraulic actuator rod ends for cracks,...Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH · AirplaneRepeat actionJul 17, 2026
- 2025-24-07Requires revising the existing airplane flight manual (AFM) for your airplane to provide the flight crew with revised operating limitations, emergency procedures, and normal operating procedures; modifying the...Passenger/crew doors · AirplaneRepeat actionJan 8, 2026
- 2024-06-13Requires replacing the rudder T-yoke bolt (axle) with a serviceable part, installing a new self-locking nut, and applying torque seal marks on the rudder T-yoke bolt head and self-locking nutFlight control system · AirplaneSupersedes 2022-21-15Repeat actionApr 22, 2024
- 2022-06-08Flight control systemAirplaneSupersedes 2017-18-10Repeat actionApr 4, 2022
- 2021-22-03Requires repetitively inspecting the NLG actuator attachment lever for cracks and damage and taking any necessary corrective actionsNose/tail landing gear attach section · AirplaneRepeat actionNov 16, 2021
- 2018-10-10Engine exhaustAirplaneSupersedes 2017-01-12, 2017-11-08Repeat actionMay 23, 2018
- 2017-15-09Requires installing engine exhaust pipe clamps with spring washers, repetitively inspecting the engine exhaust pipe clamps for cracks, and replacing the clamps if found crackedEngine exhaust · AirplaneRepeat actionAug 1, 2017
- 2016-22-06AutopilotAirplaneRepeat actionOct 27, 2016
- 2011-11-07Landing gearAirplaneRepeat actionJun 1, 2011
- 2008-23-08Power plantAirplaneRepeat actionNov 17, 2008
- 2007-12-05FuelAirplaneRepeat actionJun 11, 2007
Accident record
14 accidents since 2012, 1 fatal (1 person killed in them, a midair counting both aircraft), 0 aircraft destroyed.
What happened
- Hard landing3
- System or component failure (not the engine)2
- Landing gear collapse2
- Ground collision2
- Windshear or thunderstorm1
- Loss of control in flight1
Phase of flight
- Landing8
- Taxi3
- Enroute2
- Initial climb1
The latest
| Date | Where | What happened | Injuries | NTSB number |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-09 | Colorado springs, CO | Landing: System or component failure (not the engine) | None | CEN26LA166 |
| 2024-11-15 | Daytona beach, FL | Landing: System or component failure (not the engine) | None | ERA25LA068 |
| 2024-07-26 | Oshkosh, WI | Landing: Hard landing | None | WPR24LA256 |
| 2023-03-31 | Leesburg, FL | Landing: Hard landing | None | ERA23LA177 |
| 2022-09-01 | Orlando, FL | Taxi: Windshear or thunderstorm | Fatal | ERA22LA395 |
| 2022-05-25 | Ontario | Initial climb: Loss of control in flight | None | GAA22WA192 |
From the NTSB's aviation accident database, refreshed monthly; accidents only, homebuilts left out. Counts, not rates: nobody publishes how many hours each model flies, and a training fleet flies far more than a private one. Look up any case by its number in the NTSB's CAROL.
What it costs to run
Per hour flown
Per year, flown or not
- Fuel
- $0/hr
- Engine reserve
- $0/hr
- A year
- $0
- All in, per hour
- $0/hr
Everything else is yours to fill in: insurance, hangar and overhaul prices vary too much by pilot, airport and shop for a default to mean anything. Nothing you type leaves this page.
Before you buy one
- Run its N-number through the AD check: every AD that names its airframe and engine, as a checklist to take to the logbooks.
- For each repeat-action AD (11 on the airframe), find the last compliance in the logbooks and when the next one is due.
- Compare the engine's time since overhaul with its maker's published overhaul time, and look for the reason behind any long gap in flying.
- Check the registration, the airworthiness certificate and the date of the last annual inspection.
- Work out the sales or use tax your state will charge with the aircraft tax calculator.
Questions
- How many Diamond DA 42s are registered in the US?
- 258, in the FAA aircraft registry.
- When was the Diamond DA 42 built?
- From about 2005 to 2026. Half of those registered today were built by 2010.
- What engine does the Diamond DA 42 have?
- Most have the Austro Engine E4 (57% of those registered); others have the Thielert TAE, Lycoming IO-360.
- How many accidents has the Diamond DA 42 had?
- 14 in the NTSB's database since 2012, 1 of them fatal. The most common defining event was hard landing. These are counts, not rates: how many hours the fleet flew is not published.
- How many Airworthiness Directives does the Diamond DA 42 have?
- 23 current ADs name the DA 42 airframe, 11 of them with a repeat action, and 58 more name its engines. Whether each applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number and installed equipment.
Figures from the FAA aircraft registry and the FAA's Airworthiness Directives, rebuilt daily. An AD listed for a model is one to read; whether it applies to one aircraft depends on its serial number, equipment and records.