EASA AD 2026-0125R1 — Landing Gear – Nose landing Gear Hydraulic Actuator Rod End – Inspection

Summary

EASA Airworthiness Directive 2026-0125R1 is an updated regulatory requirement addressing the inspection of the nose landing gear hydraulic actuator rod end on Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH DA 42, DA 42 M, DA 42 NG, and DA 42 M-NG aeroplanes. It mandates repetitive inspections of specific affected parts with part numbers X11-0006-SMRCD10IRMR.7403 and X11-0006-GARSW-10RR to detect cracks that could cause rudder control issues. The directive also includes operational limitations and corrective actions to ensure continued airworthiness.

What Changed

This revision corrects the applicability of the initial emergency AD 2026-0125-E issued on 29 June 2026, refining which aircraft are subject to operational limitations before inspection. It maintains the requirement for repetitive inspections and updates compliance timelines but does not remove the interim status of the directive, indicating further AD action may follow.

Why It Matters

This directive is critical for operators and maintenance organizations as it addresses a safety risk involving uncommanded rudder deflection caused by potential cracks in the nose landing gear hydraulic actuator rod end. Compliance ensures the prevention of restricted rudder travel, which could compromise aircraft control during landing gear retracted conditions. It also affects flight operations by imposing temporary limitations on go-around and touch-and-go maneuvers until inspections are completed.

What To Do

Operators must implement the specified operating limitations immediately if their aircraft have accumulated more than 1,000 flight hours since first flight. They must perform initial and repetitive inspections of the affected parts within defined flight cycle intervals, replacing any discrepant parts before further flight. Inspection results must be reported to Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH within 14 days, and the aircraft flight manual should be amended accordingly until inspections confirm the aircraft is safe for normal operations.