What happened
On May 9, 2022, at approximately 11:45 EDT, a Diamond DA42, registration N988JA, was involved in an accident near Lehighton, Pennsylvania. The aircraft, operated by Gateway Aviation for instructional purposes, was performing a simulated engine failure procedure when the crew encountered difficulties maintaining altitude.
During the flight, the flight instructor and the student pilot shut down and secured the right engine to simulate a loss of power. Following the shutdown, the crew attempted to restart the right engine. While the engine would not produce power, the right propeller continued to rotate at 1,970 rpm, significantly lower than the normal 2,500 rpm. As the aircraft descended at approximately 500 feet per minute, the crew became task-saturated while attempting to manage checklists, communicate with air traffic control, and navigate toward the nearest airport.
A pilot-rated passenger on board noted that while fuel and oil pressure indicators for the right engine remained in the green range, the right propeller continued to spin. The passenger also observed a lack of communication and confusion regarding roles and respons'bilities between the instructor and the student pilot.
At approximately 1,500 feet MSL, the instructor took control of the aircraft and performed a forced landing into a field, where the airplane slid into a ditch. The accident resulted in 3 minor injuries and substantial damage to the aircraft fuselage.
The investigation
Investigators examined the aircraft's engine controls and found the mixture control levers in the full rich position, the propeller control levers in the fine pitch/high rpm position, and the fuel selectors and electric fuel pumps in the "on" position.
Post-accident examination of both engines revealed no mechanical failures or anomalies that would have prevented normal operation. Both engines were able to run normally during ground tests. The left engine's propeller blades were found fractured midspan, and the right engine's propeller blades also showed damage at the midpoints.
Review of the manufacturer's flight manual indicated that under the existing atmospheric conditions, the aircraft could have maintained a positive rate of climb if the dead engine had been properly feathered and secured while the operating engine was set to maximum continuous power.