One Bad Wire Kills Two Engines

How can one shorted wire cause two engines to fail? The story of how this happened to a pilot of a Diamond DA62 twin diesel engine aircraft and how the pilot rescued the plane from a catastrophic accident. Occurred 5 miles west of Dallas Executive Airport in Texas.

[@flyingformoney777]

For you eagle-eyed types out there: already pointed out to me that I misspoke when I implied that Jet A has a lower freezing point than "gas." I INTENDED to compare Jet A to Diesel. I rewrote a section and used the wrong word and blindly read it during the voice-over. Sometimes that's the way it goes when you're flying "single pilot" as a small producer...

[@MikePonsAmerica1st]

I love your work. Brilliant!

[@ganthrithor]

I almost went and looked that up on hearing it spoken, but we'll let it slide given the enjoyable narration :D

[@michaeljohn8905]

Well as a 3 year apprentice A@P and a student pilot since I was 15 I understood everything you were saying or trying to say. Very good show I always get some takeaways from your videos. We all make mistakes although I don’t consider it so. We all misspeak from time to time it’s human nature. If someone’s judging you for that let them do so because at the end of the day. PEOPLE THAT MATTER DONT JUDGE AND PEOPLE THAT JUDGE DONT MATTER… If they are coming to you to figure out how gas works in their airplanes they might wanna buy a POH before making asses of themselves. These videos are to keep everyone talking about these subjects like a conversation with a friend so you stay fresh. Not to show how another person misspoke. Uhhg sorry for the rant. I just erased my Social medias and I’m detoxing. 😂

[@BigDickMark]

You're fine, man - thanks for the clarification. TBH I think that's one of the beauties of these KZbin video lectures is you can list errata instantly as you find them and communicate them to the audience. There's another "aviation safety" KZbinr out there who prides himself on his single shot takes, often getting critical pieces of information mixed up (not that he would admit it). But he also deletes his videos after a week (for reasons I don't understand), so the benefits of publishing errata are lost on him. Keep up the great work.

[@scottmattern482]

I enjoyed your script very much. Well done.

[@LowandFast357]

Dude, what a breakdown. By far, this is the best aviation channel on YT. If you ever lose your medical or hit age 65 before you're ready, you've got another career spun up and waiting. I received my multi comm. and MEI in an O.G. DA42 back in 2006. I could never explain diesel tech and the electrical system as effectively as you just did.

[@zacharypiech2930]

something similar happened to the DA42 when it was new. Diamond released a fix to make sure it never happened again, and to maintain their safest record in GA. I'll add that I have high respect for any Diamond owner or pilot, that's because they already to chose to fly one of the safest airplanes ever made, vs something with more bling. This tells me they did their homework, briefed a departure engine failure among other contingencies. I expect this pilot was ready, and clearly they made no attempt to try and make it to a runway that was out of reach. bravo Captain!

[@DefineLines]

The facts mixed with great writing makes you one of my favorite channels. Keep it up.

[@helenduncan2934]

Hey, this channel narrator is witty and concise. I like it. This channel is going to do great things.

[@MustangPilot1]

Brilliantly done, thanks! One commenter wrote “effective”. Might be the understatement of the century.

[@thewatcher5271]

That Was A Good Video & Narration Man, Unlike So Many YT Videos Which Aren't Even Human. You're Right About His Insurance Rates, Too. Thank You.

[@maxenielsen]

You make a great point about a single point failure in a system having redundancy as a primary advantage. EFI is power hungry, requiring a heavy battery for backup with useful operating time. Conceivably, each engine could have its own alternator dedicated to supplying its EFI. Taking things a step further, each engine could have its own mechanical fuel injection as backup to EFI. Great observations in a great video! Thanks!

[@herwigstoeckl1448]

each engine has it´s own alternator.

[@igclapp]

Each engine has its own alternator and its own ECU backup battery. Something very bizarre happened here. Possibly both ECU backup batteries were wired up the wrong way after maintenance.

[@jay_b..]

If it was wrong wiring then they wire clips should be custom made to only fit in the right connection so this never happens again.

[@Helibeaver]

These videos keep getting better. The story line and the way you narrate the story is awesome. Well done.

[@captainkensmith2973]

Thank you for a well thought out video which told us everything we needed to know 👍👍👍

[@michailhack4170]

Hey-thanks so much for taking the time to explain the advantages of diesel engines.

[@alanlocklear8564]

This was a very enjoyable video. Thank you for sharing your expertise....

[@flyingformoney777]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@alvarvillalongamarch3894]

Excellent insights and wording!Hats off to your hard work and the pilot's ability and luck to stay focused and live to fight another day.Some real mean flaw that is...I hope it gets fixed.What a nasty situation...

[@troywinegarner1748]

You are an incredible narrator, very well done. Thank you!

[@Fred-vy1hm]

Luckily no one was killed and Diamond is no doubt working on a fix as we speak.

[@Astradriv3r]

Love your videos. Keep up the amazing work you’re truly saving lives with videos like these.

[@RubyS.1]

I could honestly just listen to the history. Excellent work

[@FamilyManMoving]

I flew my first Diamond a few weeks ago (just the DA-40) and was impressed how much they can make a powered glider look like an airplane. I read about this accident when it happened and wondered how it could happen. I guess now we know, thanks to you.

[@shawnclark732]

Did you like it?

[@FamilyManMoving]

@@shawnclark732 I did. But I am not a fan of a stick between the legs of the front occupants. My wife would hate it. My impression overall is these are great for short hops or training, but not I don't think they are great for a person flying for business with a partner or two would. The word that came to mind was, "European". Their trips are shorter - a trip from DC to Miami is longer then London to Berlin (517 miles) and about the same as London to Warsaw (900-ish). Difference is in the USA that's just halfway down one of our coasts. "Long" is not measured the same. So yeah, it's a fun bird for local hops. I just don't want to drive 900 miles in one. If they got rid of the stick (impossible given their airframe is built around a glider), then I'd already have bought one and just accepted they are a bit slower than a Cirrus.

[@shawnclark732]

@@FamilyManMoving no one else has jet A in a piston though, do they? Getting rid of the 100LL is one of the pluses if you ask me. I like the Cessna 206 myself, but it’s $300k more and still burns leaded and lots of it. Seems like everything is a compromise somehow. Cirrus does make some nice products too. No 6 seaters though, unless you jump to the jet.

[@FamilyManMoving]

@@shawnclark732 The Jet-A is a huge plus for the Diamonds. It's also proof that US Manufacturers are still (mostly) building GA aircraft like it was still 1960. When I said the Diamond felt "European", it was not an insult. True, they don't build cars, planes or personal transit with any appreciation of how much larger the US is. But they also have some refinements in the engine compartment and tech that the US ignores. The problem with the Diamond (for us) is ergonomics. The Diamond's are also slow, which also can be an issue when doing a 900 mile trip. The extra hour might be an issue for some. But probably not me. I'd love to see more planes take on new tech. I suspect we're going to need to wait for more autonomous systems to come online before that happens. What we call "GA" today will, I suspect, be pushed aside by a tide of innovative vehicles from new companies that almost fly themselves. Then everybody on top today goes to the bottom. Ten years, maybe? The FAA is already laying the groundwork for a new set of regulations for a new kind of plane. The legacy makers are going to get crushed when they find themselves going up against companies funded by the people who happen to own Meta, Google, and Twitface - people who just want their flying cars, right now. Hopefully their largess will pay off for us, too.

[@dontknow3886]

@@FamilyManMovingare you sure they are built around a glider? that would be my first time hearing that

[@ZombieSazza]

Fantastic aviation videos, keep up the amazing work! Also, I appreciate this channel having a subtitles option, I’m partially deaf so it’s highly appreciated!

[@flyingformoney777]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed!

[@davidswelt]

What a design flaw. That's embarrassing. But this aside, the DA62 is an amazing flying machine. 15 GPH (total!) transports up to 7 people, while our otherwise wonderful 1970's era C310 carries 6, burns 26 GPH, at the same speed. If only the capital cost of owning a $1.5M airplane wasn't so high!

[@UncleKennysPlace]

I have to believe that a new C310 would massively exceed a million bucks today; the Baron (if you can convince Textron to build one for you) would be $1.6 million or so. Heck, a loaded Cirrus SR-22T is now a seven figure beast.

[@shawnclark732]

@@UncleKennysPlaceare Baron’s not built anymore?

[@shawnclark732]

Yeah they need to fix this flaw if possible.

[@igclapp]

It's not a design flaw. Very likely there was a mistake putting back the electrical connectors after maintenance. I suppose it's a design flaw to not make the connectors foolproof.

[@Williamb612]

Hard boiled aviation...love love this new genre!!!

[@slayer6936]

Great job by the pilot! Keeping a cool head and a clear mind, he saved himself and the plan.

[@ant2011]

Its crazy that info about this event is so hard to come by

[@thepurpleufo]

I like your attitude.

[@ABQSentinel]

That's pretty amazing when you take into consider that the wingspan on a DA-62 is a whopping 48' which is over 10' longer than comparable piston twins. While this is part of why the plane is so fuel efficient, in an emergency landing, that extra 10' is going to make your life a lot more difficult!

[@shawnclark732]

Except a twin should never have to land off field.

[@PeterBoulden]

I'll take that extra 10' as glide ratio

[@ABQSentinel]

@@PeterBoulden Good point!

[@jekanyika]

One of the loading screens in FS2020 made me appreciate the elegance of the DA62.

[@Enjgine]

Hearing an american talk about a big texas distances and massive space is quite unusual as someone from Western Australia. We have 10 shires each larger than Indiana and they collectively have 43k people in them. In fact, all 10 put together are larger than alaska, and have a population of Fairbanks or Juneau.

[@Fred-vy1hm]

Hearing an Australian talk about the big Western Australian distances and massive space is quite unusual as someone from the Canadian Arctic. We have three territories each larger than Texas and they collectively have 200k people in them. In fact, all three put together are larger than Alaska, Greenland, Spain, France, Germany and Texas combined, and have a population less than Anchorage.

[@Enjgine]

@@Fred-vy1hm yeah I mean Nunavut is about as close to the literal end of the world as

[@1q2w3e4r5t6zism]

Blue - the perfect color for a mid-air collision.

[@mattanders7617]

Another great video

[@igclapp]

The wiring connectors to the ECU backup batteries are not made to only connect one way, nor are they even color coded or clearly labelled. Therefore it looks like the ECU backup batteries were hooked up incorrectly after they were replaced or inspected.

[@andyquinn1125]

Good work.

[@gosborg]

Nice analysis! I loved the healthy degree of cynicism.

[@NoelleTakestheSky]

Dallas Executive. Oh boy, that’s the one on all the stuff we have to study for the FAA written.

[@NoelleTakestheSky]

Finished watching, and great video. I love the sarcastic humor, like the quip about insurance. Subscribed.

[@Agislife1960]

I hope they take this failure serious and do a resign of the backup engine fuel systems, but they probably wont

[@Hooknspktr]

I'll keep my steam gages, gravity feed fuel and separate magnetos, thank you.

[@go5582]

Hi, great vocabulary. 😊

[@xenadu02]

If I were designing an ECU/EFI system I would have a basic mechanical fuel metering system and traditional mag that are inactivated by the ECU in a positive control situation. If the ECU fails or loses power the P-lead ground relay defaults to NO and the backup mag takes over. Similarly a shutoff relay on the fuel feed to the backup mixture control would kick off reverting to traditional fuel metering. Basically any sort of electronics or power failure causes physical springs to push the whole system into a "limp home" mode that is entirely mechanical. And good grief... if you're going to have an ECU battery it should be co-located with the ECU feeding the ECU on a separate voltage rail with plenty of diode protection against spikes or cross-feed from the main bus and its own separate auto-resetting circuit breaker. Keep the wire lengths to an absolute minimum to eliminate the chances of mis-wiring, rub-outs, etc. In fact I'd make the ECU battery snap directly onto the ECU itself so no mechanic can accidentally screw it up (but in a separate metal case to prevent a leaking battery from damaging the ECU).

[@musclebymike1382]

I'm in the IT Field and it's not going to be a long time before you see A.I. in the cockpit assisting the pilot. A.I. will assist the pilot incase of emergency or be able to assist the pilot in landing safely

[@marinepilot5723]

Yikes….I think I’ll keep my magnetos for now, thanks

[@FryChicken]

Texas drivers are fantastic.

[@onebridge7231]

Glad he made it down safely, but the dependency of one electrical buss seems like a redesign is warranted. Improper maintenance is either owner skipped it or someone screwed up. If someone screwed up, then I’d review all their work.

[@markhilken7026]

Interesting. I'm guessing the diamond isn't so bulletproof after all

[@robw992000]

Hey dane, what are you doing over here ?

[@marcosaraujo5812]

I suppose there should be a recall immediately. And I hope they reconsider the use of BRS. It's clearly not just a sales gimmick. If the planes waight allows it and the technology exists, it should be used on all planes. Not using it is like not including a spare tire in cars because it is unlikely to use it.

[@johneshoffnerjr9823]

I'm no expert, and I agree that this should not have happened. I think two corrections are in order. First, the electrical system is backed by circuit breakers, not fuses. The only fuse (that I'm aware of) is for the flood light (main battery emergency bus). More importantly, there are two ECU buses, one for each engine. Each backs up the other side with electrical "B" boost pump power. Can you provide any info on which circuit blew? I cannot find any common location to blow the entire electrical system including backups. Which Safety Incident report covers this? Thank you.

[@flyingformoney777]

You are correct about two busses but incorrect about the fuses. Diamond added backup batteries to the system after initial certification. That is where the fuses are. The preliminary report can be found on the NTSB website.

[@rnordquest]

Your last statement might be changing. Korea developed a robot copilot that can fly a plane. It knows every emergency procedure, can touch every switch, even in turbulence. It’s the next step after Garmin auto land.

[@rafalwyszkowski70]

Is that North or South😅 ???

[@flyingformoney777]

Automation does a proficient job with “expected” failures or procedures. The unexpected is where it falls short and where humans continue to be needed.

[@jeroetinberge9627]

@@flyingformoney777 Perfect oneliner, so true.

[@huni_invest]

@@rafalwyszkowski70 South, obviously!

[@Pilot_engineer_19]

Sounds like a design problem. Also, when you are talking about electronics, fuses are usually too slow to react. Some type of solid state disconnect is needed. As an example, the wire would not have had time to heat up if that type of disconnect were used. These used to be called "crowbar" circuits. Single point failures should never be allowed on any aircraft! After all the space shuttle was triple redundant( 3 independent buses).

[@Leo-fk9ch]

Give me a turbine, a PT-6 any day over a diesel. Lighter, high power and torque to weight ratio and most important … extremely low failure rate. I just can’t get my mind around a diesel powered airplane powerplant. Of the diesel vehicles I’ve owned over the years … yes, I understand the intense design and testing an airplane engine goes through versus automotive engines, I’ve experienced catastrophic failures in the high pressure fuel pumps and head gaskets. Both of which meant the engine was toast until repaired. Now throw in FADEC, electronics to determine engine reliability .. not for my peace of mind, especially IFR over mountains. 57 years of flying, from Cubs to Falcon900s. Maybe I’m just old school.

[@UncleKennysPlace]

Sure, a couple of million-dollar PT-6s on a twin would be lovely. But that's an entirely different class of airplane, commonly known as "King Air". And thirsty ... did I mention thirsty?

[@michaeljohn8905]

I wish I had the money for one. The failure rate is nice and low from what I understand..

[@michaeljohn8905]

@@UncleKennysPlace don’t forget they are thirsty. 😂. But seriously the insurance I think might be lower that’s about the only good thing. Failure rate is much lower I’m guessing. My how expensive they are. I work on ‘‘em at my job. The Annuals are crazy $$$$

[@paulmorrisette1581]

A wake-up call.

[@FryChicken]

Europeans lack common sense. "All redundant ECUs on a signle bus? Makes sense to me"

[@HyperSpaceProphet]

"Freezing gas is a problem" Incorrect. Diesel/Kero/Jet A freezes much sooner than avgas (or gasoline in general).

[@bm-xi4bw]

TY

[@sigbauer9782]

unless you need to be there fast or going over terrain, flying is never "efficient". you might get to a destination in 2 hours vs. 5, but the cost of the fuel plus maintenance (and the cost of the plane itself), will exceed any "savings" you think you've realized.

[@johnmann8253]

I fly a Vans Rv 6 with 160 hp Lycoming I O 320. I’ll have to say, going to Florida only takes me just under six hours versus an 18 hour car drive. It averages 165 knots true airspeed. At 7.6 gallons per hour, it’s probably the exception, but very efficient and cost-effective.

[@SI-lg2vp]

If efficiency is the goal then you would need either a bike or mass transit. Airplanes not only delivery fast transportation but a great view. While plane ownership comes at a price, so do other forms of personal travel for you can make the same trip in a new truck or SUV at $100, 000. The advantage of the RV aircraft it does not loose value like a truck or SUV.@@johnmann8253

[@BigDickMark]

"If you have time to spare, go by air"

[@biff1245]

Time is money

[@snn689]

Europe has a 7 seat too - Diamond offer a 1999kg MTOW option so you can avoid airways fees and it must make sense to someone - maybe businesses who don’t use many more that one or two seats. I don’t know where the rumour started that the European version is 1999kg only.

[@flyingformoney777]

Maybe not technically accurate that it’s a US only option, but that is the market it’s designed for…

[@snn689]

I see you've removed a bunch of the discussion - that's weird... I emailed a distributor in Europe and they've not sold ANY 1999kg DA62s in my country - all of them are the full 2300kg MTOM versions. Diamond is an Austrian company (now Chinese owned), and the DA62 was certified by the EASA before getting the FAA certification, and of course they sell them in the EU and manufacture them in Austria - they are not "shipped" from the US. Whether it was designed for the US market is undetermined, but most definitely there is a 1999kg option in the EU, but not many folk take it up, and there are no physical differences between the two other than the removal of the 6th and 7th seat. I'm glad I could clear that up - you're not the only one that reports it this way. I'm going to be correcting some other publications because it's bad info. ​@@flyingformoney777

[@flyingformoney777]

I don’t argue with your sources. I’m not sure it’s relevant to the accident that was the focus of this video, but thanks for the clarification. It looks to me like it was designed with the US market in mind. Not surprised that they sell them in Europe too.

[@johnpatrick1588]

A Tahoe doesn't cost $1.3 million to buy.

[@flyingformoney777]

Lol yeah, but what’s the fun in being rational?

[@dcxplant]

Way to go government agencies to notice all that redundancy is nullified by a single electrical bus! -sarc- "but the odds of that were unconceivable" Just like on the DC-10 putting all three hydraulic lines together in one place for ease of manufacture...

[@DanFrederiksen]

Try to do your descent above your glide slope

[@emd6456]

Heat of compression.

[@JDOG1974yes]

Dam!!! Everything these days including new vehicles and now new airplanes are junk!

[@kwittnebel]

Sorry but "freezing gas is a problem?" Kerosene gels more readily than gasoline. Anyway now you need to do a video on the Delta Hawk, and it should be obvious why it isn't FADEC but rather a turbosupercharged 2 cycle mechanical injection diesel. Sometimes reliability is more important than the most efficient, computer-controlled piezo fuel injection pattern.

[@davem5333]

Yep. There is something to be said for steam gauge technology.

[@flyingformoney777]

Yeah, I didn’t say that quite right. Wasn’t comparing Jet A freezing point to avgas but diesel. I cut a section and used the wrong term there…

[@williamtufts3600]

Modern diesels won't run without electricity. No electricity no fuel pump.

[@dustdevilz4771]

Single source failure in a twin. What a design screwup.

[@thelastrebelshow1627]

One bad wire will make you a glider pilot. 😱🙈🙀

[@braino6784]

My comment below is figurative not literal but you get the point.

[@cannon440]

Is there an AD to "fix" this huge problem? If not, why not???? $1,250,000.00 to $2,225,000.00 and NOT PRESSURIZED!

[@VoluntaryPlanet]

If we didn’t have government regulations then airplane manufacturers would make planes with design flaws!

[@BLEnterpriseLincoln]

Well.... You had some credit until you said at a certain mixture you have someone combustion. The fuel never mixes with the air pre combustion in a diesel. Sorry you lost me.

[@peterberg12353]

Bro my dumbass thought 00:03 was a drone shot

[@PistonAvatarGuy]

Jet fuel has a lower energy density by weight than avgas.

[@zimthehackslifestyle5708]

The narration and writing is crazy🤣....eg: When you crash in a plane , cremation is free

[@topofthegreen]

So Diamonds are not that safe after all. it's scary that a wire can bring down an aircraft. I think ill avoid flying DA62’s

[@MGA19a]

Yep just stick to that old cessna 😅

[@klesmer]

Another wonderful European design. They should stick to what they are good at, making gliders. Oh I guess that is what this one turned into.

[@georgemurray2901]

Boeing 😂

[@flymachine]

“If you die in a plane crash cremation will be free of charge” 😮 waaaayyyy too soon 😢 Rough. That aside I feel like you’re over simplifying the science of developing a line of aircraft that have similarities in the design philosophy but in reality are each completely individual - by your logic almost every Cessna or Piper is a derivative, the differences in almost every aspect between the DA20 I trained on and the latest DA60 are the same as the differences between the DC3 and MD83

[@jcoghill2]

Yes a diesel will keep running in a loss of electrical power, except on engines with electronic fuel controls which most of them are because it takes an EFC to get you those 16 mpg.

[@caseymcclure9653]

This is a death trap

[@rafalwyszkowski70]

Got my multi. In DA42 w diesel engines. My least favorite aircraft to fly.

[@markg4459]

Pls explain? What did you not like?

[@herwigstoeckl1448]

I fly the DA-42 on a regular basis and i love that aircraft.

[@leeross7896]

dont like um give me a turbo aztec any day at 1/5th the price

[@Maybe-So]

2.5 minutes into the video, we get a summary about crematoriums, how much land there is somewhere compared to somewhere else, and (finally) something about fuel and EPA. How much longer before we ACTUALLY get to the wiring diagram, loose wire, cause for failure, and actual "flying the plane"? What did the pilot do? This might be interesting to someone not familiar to the area, but I am more interested in: The plane, what broke, what did the pilot do? Sorry, Got tired of waiting, I'll come back later.

[@MaxB50]

Excellent video, but why the swipe against enviromentalists, rationale or otherwise. Most thinking people care about pollution without being ‘tree huggers’ . It’s also a political issue best left alone if you are going to grow an outstanding channel like this one. Leave that stuff for our favourite knuckledragger - Jimmy’s World

[@flyingformoney777]

Did I take a swipe at environmentalists? That wasn’t my intention. I’m all for cleaner technology.

[@drzoltanvajo142]

"Freezing gas" - LOL! Gas is aerous, if you cool it, it turns into liquid. I know, I know, Americans think that "gasoline" is the same as "gas". It is a very bad abbreviation for a liquid. If you're too lazy to say gasoline, just say fuel. FYI: gas a substance or matter in a state in which it will expand freely to fill the whole of a container, having no fixed shape (unlike a solid) and no fixed volume (unlike a liquid). Otherwise, great video, as always!

[@TheOwenMajor]

Don't hate just because your five brain cells struggle with shorting gasoline to gas. Ahhh, you're so very smart, you can't use basic context cues to differentiate between words. FFS.

[@bigmagedom6096]

Chinese aircraft 🤢🤢🤢🤢

[@michaeljohn8905]

Really enjoy your analytics. Thanks for posting. 🫡

[@flibbinflah22]

Mate good video, well made. Could probably have done without learning the entire history of Texas but better too much info than not enough. Well done.

[@ianperry9914]

If you look into the diamond range of aircraft it is a travesty they were ever certified . An accident waiting to happen at any moment . If it aint the gearbox its the prop or the fuel pump or the corroding weak undercarriage ,turbo pipe blowing off , fuel injectors , it goes on and on . The most uninspiring aeroplane I have ever flown . Plastic GRP crap for plastic pilots .

[@OnceShy_TwiceBitten]

I hear great things about DA20s and 40s where are you seeing that they are an accident waiting to happen?

[@ianperry9914]

have a look at the UK AAIB reports / Personal flight experience on type and observation of engineering . @@OnceShy_TwiceBitten

[@herwigstoeckl1448]

what kind of Diamond did you fly to make such statements?

[@ianperry9914]

@@herwigstoeckl1448 DA40 and DA42